robots in disguise!

General Motors Co. has partnered with DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures for the Transformers movie in association with Hasbro’s forthcoming July 4th action-adventure release. GM cast members are the Chevrolet Camaro as “Bumblebee”, a one-off emergency service Hummer H2 as “Ratchet”, a Pontiac Solstice as “Jazz”, and a GMC TopKick as “Ironhide.” They will make their appearances at the sixth annual pre-Oscar gala celebration at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood.

News about the roles that these vehicles play in the movie has been spreading since a quick glimpse of the new Camaro was spotted in Paramount’s “Transformers” trailer which began appearing in theaters last December 20, 2006. This clip also contains images of the solstice, H2 and topkick for fans, which is actually the most viewed trailer.

The Transformers movie is a compelling project and offers a global platform for marketing GM products and accessories. As Mike Jackson, GM North America Vice President, Marketing and Advertising, stated, “It represents the perfect intersection of entertainment, marketing and design.”

Gerry Rich, President of Worldwide Marketing at Paramount Pictures, added, “We are thrilled to be working with GM on this incredible and action-packed film. Having integrated the cars as characters in the film is truly an innovative concept that will help eventize this exciting 4th of July tentpole film.”

As part of the combined marking effort, GM will be rolling out a fully integrated Transformers-based marketing crack downs as the movie's Independence Day release nears.

Get your load of GMC parts in online shops and its promotional website. Catch the trailer on YouTube if you will.

From the upcoming 2007 Transformers film, I have mentioned The Autobots and the Constructicons and their vehicle counterparts. Now tramping your way are the Decepticons.

Menacing, the Decepticons are far more deceiving than they really look. With their auto body parts they emanate that tough antagonist heritage. Known as Destrons or Deathrons, are the Autobots’ archenemies:

Megatron – is the best-known leader of the Decepticons; in the movie he is presented as a stealth bomber with his original G1 incarnation turning suddenly into a Walther P38. He co-ruled Cybertron with Optimus Prime before desiring full power over Allspark. He is 10.3m (34 feet) tall. Tom DeSanto said that Megatron will assume an Earth form in the film.

Starscream – known as a treacherous Megatron ally; Megatron’s contempt for Starscream will always remain intact. He leads the Decepticons in Megatron’s absence, having a simian shape morphing into an F-22 Raptor. He stands roughly at 9.7 m (32 feet) tall.

Blackout – an MH-53 Pave Low in the movie with his feet as props, he is called Vortex or Incinerator. He is the largest Decepticon and has the ability to disrupt mechanical devices via his EMP. His name is used by a helicopter Decepticon in the recent Transformers: Energon with his G1 roots.

Brawl – also known as Devastator, his triple-barreled turret and a grumpy personality evokes the Combaticon of the same name. A Modified M1 Abrams, Brawl is in Bumblebee and Jazz’s size area.

Barricade – he is a bounty hunter, concealing himself among humans disguised as a symbol of authority. A Saleem-modified Ford Mustang Police car, his hands can also become spikes which are attached to his wheels.

Frenzy – originally Soundwave, he is a CD player that transforms into a human-sized robot. He was first named as Soundbyte before being named Frenzy in the homage to the G1 character who was a minion of Soundwave. His role in the film is that of a spy among humans for the Decepticons, using his alternate mode as a disguise. He has four arms, is thin and shoots blades disguised as CDS from his chest.

Scorponok – as derived from his title, in the movie version he plays a mechanical scorpion. He is deployed from Blackout and can fire rockets.

Bonecrusher – as previously mentioned from a past blog, he is a Constucticon, wielding blades on his shoulders, skating with wheels acting as his feet. He is a Buffalo H Mine-Protected vehicle.

The Pontiac solstice counterpart is Jazz; this time to be shown as a coupe in the upcoming Transformers live action film directed by Michael Bay. Among one of the constant favorite characters in the Transformers series, he is an autobot usually referred as Autobot Jazz or Meister (his Japanese name). He is known for his stylish and competent nature and he helped much during battles with his light show effects and loud music.

Jazz was sometimes considered Optimus Prime's special helper for all the times he helped out on Earth. His alternate mode will be a silver/grey customized hardtop Pontiac Solstice.

The Solstice is a fine first effort at a small roadster with its turbo charged engine. So we're pleased to see that it made its modified version with all its Pontiac parts playing the role of a calm and collected autobot.

The Pontiac solstice is the perfect vehicle for the Jazz’s character. Moreover, its wheel sizes are the same as the stock Solstice. But not all are pleased to say the least, “A sticker on the vehicle bears the traditional Autobots logo. Jazz is a curvy silver coupe, the latest Pontiac Solstice. It seemed like one guy's entire job was to buff the car and make sure it remained shiny during the carnage.” IGN.com commented.

Expect to see the official teaser poster and trailer of the movie this July 4th.

The Transformers are back! Not that they ever really went away. Fans gotta check on this date July 4, 2007. I know I will. Why? The live-action Transformers movie has been set to open in the U.S. with a joint collaboration huge animation companies such as among DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, Inc.

Now onto our update:

Looks like Chevrolet will be using Hollywood to help promote the new Chevrolet Camaro with its new Chevrolet parts. Saleen, Inc is working on the cars being used for the upcoming Transformers Movie. They have a new Mustang that looks like a police car and a new version of the Chevy Camaro we have not seen yet.

The feature, based on the globally popular Transformers franchise, will be directed by Michael Bay (upcoming “The Island,” “Armageddon”) from a screenplay being written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (upcoming “The Island”). Steven Spielberg (“War of the Worlds”) is executive producing the film, with Lorenzo di Bonaventura (upcoming “Four Brothers”), Tom DeSanto (“X-Men” and “X2: X-Men United”) and Don Murphy (“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen”) serving as co-executive producers.

There is an assurance that not only the producers have the time to make this movie the way it should be made, but also to build excitement and awareness leading up to its release as fans around the world have wanted a Transformers live-action movie for a long time.

By the way, die cast 5th-gen Camaros are currently offered on eBay. So what are you waiting for?