Michael Bay
Michael Bay | |
---|---|
![]() Bay in 2006 | |
Born | Michael Benjamin Bay February 17, 1965 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Alma mater | Wesleyan University Art Center College of Design |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1986–present |
Relatives | Susan Bay (cousin) |
Website | michaelbay |
Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965)[1] is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget, high-concept action films characterized by fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of special effects, including frequent depictions of explosions.[2][3] The films he has produced and directed, which include Armageddon (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001) and the Transformers film series (2007–present), have grossed over US$7.8 billion worldwide, making him one of the most commercially successful directors in history.[4][5]
He is co-founder of commercial production house The Institute, a.k.a. The Institute for the Development of Enhanced Perceptual Awareness.[6] He co-owns Platinum Dunes, a production house which has remade horror films, including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), The Amityville Horror (2005), The Hitcher (2007), Friday the 13th (2009) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010).[7]
Early life and education
Bay was born in Los Angeles. He was raised by his adoptive parents Harriet, a bookstore owner and child psychiatrist, and Jim, a Certified Public Accountant.[8] He was raised Jewish.[9][10][11] His grandfather was from Russia.[12] His cousin, Susan Bay, is the widow of Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy (whom he eventually cast as the voice actor for Sentinel Prime in Transformers: Dark of the Moon).[13] He attended the exclusive Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California.[14]
Bay often traces his interest in action films back to an incident during his childhood. As a boy, he attached some firecrackers to a toy train and filmed the ensuing fiery disaster with his mother's 8 millimeter camera. The fire department was called and he was grounded.[15]
Bay got his start in the film industry interning with George Lucas when he was 15, filing the storyboards for Raiders of the Lost Ark, which Bay believed was going to be terrible. His opinion changed after seeing it in the theater and he was so impressed by the experience that he decided to become a film director.[16] He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1986, majoring in both English and film.[17][18] He was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity and a favorite student of film historian Jeanine Basinger.[19] For his graduate work, he attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where he also studied film.[20]
Career
1992–2005: Breakthrough and stardom
Bay began working at Propaganda Films, directing commercials and music videos, two weeks after finishing his postgraduate degree.[20] His 90-second World War II–inspired Coca-Cola advertisement was picked up by Capitol Records. His first national commercial was for the Red Cross, which won a Clio Award in 1992.[21][22] He directed Goodby, Silverstein & Partners' "Aaron Burr" commercial as part of the "Got Milk?" ad campaign for the California Milk Processors Board in 1993, which also won a Grand Prix Clio Award for Commercial of the Year.[23][24]
Bay's success in music videos gained the attention of producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, who selected him to direct his first feature-length film, Bad Boys. It was shot in Miami in 1994 and starred Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The action film was a breakout role for Smith, who was making a transition from television at the time. Shooting in Miami was a good experience for Bay, who would later own a home in the city and spend a great deal of time there.[25] The film was completed for $19 million and grossed a remarkable $141 million in the summer of 1995.[26] Bay's success led to a strong partnership and friendship with Jerry Bruckheimer.[27]
His follow-up film, The Rock (1996), an action movie set on Alcatraz Island and in the San Francisco Bay area, starred Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris. It was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, the latter of whom died five months before its release. The film is dedicated to him.[28] Connery and Cage won 'Best On-Screen Duo' at the MTV Movie Awards in 1997, and the film was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Achievement in Sound category for the work of Greg P. Russell, Kevin O'Connell and Keith A. Wester.[29][30] After the success of The Rock, Bay established his production company Bay Films, with a two-picture deal with Disney.
![](http://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20240621005226im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Michael_Bay_%26_Jerry_Bruckheimer_-_Armageddon_%281998_film%29.jpg/170px-Michael_Bay_%26_Jerry_Bruckheimer_-_Armageddon_%281998_film%29.jpg)
In 1998, Bay again collaborated with Jerry Bruckheimer, this time as a co-producer, as well as directing the action-adventure film Armageddon.[31][32] The film, about a group of tough oil drillers who are sent by NASA to deflect an asteroid from a collision course with Earth, starred Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler. It was nominated for four Oscars at the 71st Academy Awards, including Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing and Best Original Song.[33] It earned $9.6 million on its opening day and $36.5 million through the first weekend.[34] Its budget of $140 million was one of the highest of the summer of 1998. It went on to gross over $553 million worldwide, the highest-grossing film of that year.[35]
In 2001, Bay directed Pearl Harbor, starring Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale and Cuba Gooding, Jr. It was released on Memorial Day weekend in 2001, again produced by Bay with Jerry Bruckheimer. It received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing and Best Song. Kevin O'Connell received another nomination for Best Sound, but did not win. Pearl Harbor won in the category for Sound Editing, making it Bay's first (and, to date, only) film to win an Oscar.[36] Bay also directed the music video for the nominated track "There You'll Be" by vocal artist Faith Hill.[20]
Bay reteamed with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence for Bad Boys II, a sequel that was Bay's fifth collaboration with Jerry Bruckheimer. It grossed $138 million domestically, enough to cover the production budget, and $273 million worldwide, almost twice as much as the first movie. In 2005, Bay directed The Island, a science fiction film starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. It was the first film Bay made without Jerry Bruckheimer as a producer. It cost $126 million to produce and earned $36 million domestically and $127 million overseas, for a total of $163 million. Bay said that he was not comfortable with the domestic marketing campaign, as it confused the audience about the film's true subject.[37]
2007–2016
![](http://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20240621005226im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Michael_Bay_060530-F-4692S-004.jpg/220px-Michael_Bay_060530-F-4692S-004.jpg)
In 2007, he teamed up with executive producer Steven Spielberg to direct Transformers, a live action film based on the Transformers franchise. Released in July 2007, by November of that year it had made over $709 million worldwide.[38]
Bay returned as director and executive producer for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which was released on June 24, 2009 and grossed over $832 million worldwide. Although it received mostly negative reviews by critics,[39] including aggressively critical reviews by American film critics such as Roger Ebert,[40] Michael Phillips[41] and David Denby (who referred to Bay as "stunningly, almost viciously, untalented"),[42] the film was well received by its intended audience and one of the highest-grossing of 2009.[43][44] In 2010, it earned seven Golden Raspberry Award nominations, and won three: Worst Picture, Worst Director and Worst Screenplay.[45] It was also one of the best-selling DVD and Blu-ray Discs of 2009, second only to Twilight in DVD format, and the #1 of all time in Blu-ray format until it was surpassed by Blu-ray sales of James Cameron's Avatar in April 2010.[46][47][48]
Bay directed Transformers: Dark of the Moon, released on June 29, 2011,[49] which grossed $1.123 billion globally.[50] His next film was a comparatively small one he had been developing for years, called Pain & Gain.[51] The true crime story, based on events described in a Miami New Times article[52] by Pete Collins, concerns a group of bumbling bodybuilders working together to commit a robbery.[53] It starred Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Tony Shalhoub and Ed Harris.
![](http://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20240621005226im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Michael_Bay_filming.jpg/220px-Michael_Bay_filming.jpg)
Bay produced DreamWorks' I Am Number Four, based on a series of novels by Pittacus Lore published by HarperCollins Children's Books. D. J. Caruso (Eagle Eye, Disturbia) directed.[54][55]
A fourth Bay-directed Transformers movie, Transformers: Age of Extinction, was released in June 2014.[56] Starring Mark Wahlberg, it earned $1.1 billion at the global box office.[57] On January 12, 2016, Paramount Pictures released 13 Hours, which Bay produced and directed, based on the 2012 Benghazi attack. While the lowest-grossing film of Bay's career at the box office, it went on to massive DVD sales on its digital release in May 2016, earning over $40 million in home video revenue.[58]
2017–present
On May 23, 2017, Bay was honored with his own hand-and-footprint ceremony at The TCL Chinese Theatre. His English mastiff, Rebel, put her paw in the cement with him.[59]
Bay's fifth Transformers film as director, Transformers: The Last Knight, was released on June 21, 2017.[60] It grossed $68.5 million in its five-day North American opening weekend, the franchise's lowest opening, and $605 million worldwide.[61][62] In a 2016 Rolling Stone interview, Bay said it would be his final Transformers film as director.[63]
In 2018, it was announced that Bay would direct the Netflix action thriller film 6 Underground, starring Ryan Reynolds, Mélanie Laurent, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Adria Arjona, Corey Hawkins, Ben Hardy and Dave Franco.[64] It was released on December 13, 2019.[65] In August 2019, Bay signed to direct the action film Black Five for Sony Pictures.[66] However, the film, which was set to begin production in 2020, was put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Bay subsequently moved on to direct Ambulance.[67]
Bay produced the pandemic-themed thriller Songbird starting Demi Moore, Craig Robinson, Paul Walter Hauser and Peter Stormare.[68] He is set to direct the dystopian thriller Little America, which was scheduled to film in California sometime in 2020.[69]
In 2021, it was reported that Bay requested financial compensation from film studio Paramount Pictures for indirectly limiting his income as a result of Paramount cutting the theatrical-only run of A Quiet Place Part II from 90 to 45 days due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bay, and other producers as well as actors for the film, as is typically the case, receive payment in part based on box-office performance, and a reduction in the theatrical run's exclusivity affected the pay they received.[70]
Bay's next film was 2022's Ambulance, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Eiza González. It follows two bank robbers who hijack an ambulance and take two hostages. Shot during the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles,[71] it was released in the US on April 8, 2022 by Universal Pictures.[72]
In February 2023, Bay was hired to direct and executive produce an untitled action drama series for A&E Studios and Amazon Studios.[73]
Production and effects companies
Platinum Dunes
Bay founded production house Platinum Dunes with fellow producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form in 2001.[74]
Digital Domain
Bay and Wyndcrest Holdings, a Florida-based investment firm, acquired the digital effects company Digital Domain from James Cameron and Stan Winston in 2006, infusing the struggling business with a $50 million investment. Digital Domain considered an initial public offering in 2009 but withdrew the offer due to lack of interest. It was sold to the production group Beijing Galloping Horse in 2012.[75]
The Institute
After leaving Propaganda Films, Bay and producer Scott Gardenhour, also formerly at Propaganda, formed The Institute for the Development of Enhanced Perceptual Awareness (now known as The Institute), to produce commercials and other projects. Through The Institute, Bay has directed and produced spots for Victoria's Secret, Lexus, Budweiser, Reebok, Mercedes-Benz, and Nike. One of his Victoria's Secret ads was for the 2009 "A Thousand Fantasies" holiday campaign.[76]
451 Media Group
Bay co-founded 451 Media Group with Doug Nunes (who serves as CEO), and with John and Anthony Gentile, who previously marketed brands such as Micronauts, Visionaries, Sky Dancers and the Power Glove. In 2015, the company announced an interactive publishing division to offer "augmented reality" content from printed graphic novels with digital video. The graphic novels employ Touchcode technology from T+ink (previously used in the Power Glove), in which ink used in the printing process unlocks access to exclusive content that is housed on the Machinima Network, which is transferred to users' touch-screen-enabled mobile devices when the printed books are touched to those devices. The company's premiere slate of graphic novels was unveiled at the October 2015 New York Comic Con. The creators involved included Scott Rosenberg, Skip Woods, George Pelecanos, Mark Mallouk, Clay McLeod Chapman and Peter and Paul Williams.[77][78][79][80]
Rogue Initiative
In June 2016, Bay joined The Rogue Initiative,[81] a production studio and technology company, as a strategic advisor and stakeholder. The studio merges Hollywood production with interactive talent to generate story-driven content for games, mobile, virtual reality, mixed reality, television and feature film. As part of the partnership, Bay will develop and direct a multiplatform action-adventure game and cinematic VR experiences, based on an original IP conceived by him.
Personal life
Bay lives in Miami with his three English mastiffs, named for characters in his films. As a boy, he donated his Bar Mitzvah money to an animal shelter and he now often includes his dogs in his films. Bonecrusher appeared as Mikaela's dog "Bones" in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Mason, his first English mastiff, was named for John Patrick Mason, played by Sean Connery in The Rock.[82] Mason appeared as Marcus's dog in Bad Boys II and as Miles' dog in Transformers; he died during production of the latter film in March 2007.[83][84]
Bay is not married and has no children.[85] He previously dated sportscaster Lisa Dergan.[82]
In a 2016 Rolling Stone interview, Bay said that his net worth was around $500 million.[63][86] He owned a $50 million Gulfstream G550 jet, as well as a Bentley, a Range Rover, an Escalade, a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, and two Camaros from the Transformers franchise.[63]
Filmography
Year | Title | Distributor |
---|---|---|
1995 | Bad Boys | Sony Pictures Releasing |
1996 | The Rock | Buena Vista Pictures |
1998 | Armageddon | |
2001 | Pearl Harbor | |
2003 | Bad Boys II | Sony Pictures Releasing |
2005 | The Island | DreamWorks Pictures Warner Bros. |
2007 | Transformers | Paramount Pictures DreamWorks Pictures |
2009 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | |
2011 | Transformers: Dark of the Moon | Paramount Pictures |
2013 | Pain & Gain | |
2014 | Transformers: Age of Extinction | |
2016 | 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi | |
2017 | Transformers: The Last Knight | |
2019 | 6 Underground | Netflix |
2022 | Ambulance | Universal Pictures |
Critical reception
His movies look like a more compacted, cartoonish messy version of films by British commercial directors like Adrian Lyne and Ridley and Tony Scott. He packs each frame with baroque detail and floods the screen with light and smog; he prefers extreme wide angles or punishingly tight telephoto close-ups, which make each shot dense enough to burst.
—Matt Zoller Seitz writing in The New York Times, 1996.[87]
Bay's work is divisive and has often been poorly received by film critics, and his name has been used pejoratively in art-house circles.[88] Bay has responded to his critics, saying: "I make movies for teenage boys. Oh, dear, what a crime."[89] Besides accusing him of making films that pander to a young demographic, critics and audiences have been critical of elements of Bay's filmmaking style such as the overuse of Dutch angles, extreme patriotism, overly broad and sophomoric humor, excessive product placement,[90] oversaturated orange and teal color grading,[91] reusing footage from his previous films,[92] and his preference of action and spectacle over story and characters,[93][94][95] with his film's excessive use of explosions often being mentioned or parodied.[96][97] Another point of contention with Bay's films is his portrayal and use of offensive racial stereotypes as comedic relief; one alleged example being the characters Skids and Mudflap in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.[98]
Bay has also been accused of heavily objectifying women in his films, with critics describing Bay's manner of filming actresses as "lascivious" and "pornographic". He has faced criticism for routinely making sexist remarks and showing female characters in a stereotypical light.[99] He came under scrutiny for firing Megan Fox in retaliation[100] after she made comments about him mistreating her on the set of the Transformers films and compared him to Adolf Hitler and Napoleon.[94][101][102] Bay published an open letter written by three anonymous members of the crew of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen that referred to Fox as, among other things, "Ms. Sourpants", "porn star", "unfriendly bitch", and "dumb-as-a-rock".[103]
In 2009, it was reported that Fox, at the age of 15, was made to wash Bay's car while auditioning for Transformers.[104][105] In 2020, Fox revisited the incident and denied that she was underaged (for Transformers) or "made to 'wash' or work on someone's cars in a way that was extraneous from the materials in the actual script."[106] Fox was 15 when she first appeared as a bikini-clad extra in the Bay film Bad Boys II.[103]
Actress Kate Beckinsale also spoke out publicly by reporting that she was body-shamed and regularly criticized for her appearance by Bay during the making of Pearl Harbor.[101][102]
Six of Bay's films have been nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture and Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Transformers: Age of Extinction and Transformers: The Last Knight), with Revenge of the Fallen and Age of Extinction winning the award for "Worst Director". Revenge of the Fallen also became the first film by Bay and also the highest-grossing film to be awarded "Worst Picture".
Conversely, some critics and actors have praised Bay's films and style. Film historian Jeanine Basinger has described him as "the most cinematic and fluid and unafraid director", while Scott Foundas of Variety has lauded his "grand, epic vision" and positively compared him to William Wyler. Actress Scarlett Johansson wrote that Bay is "a truly ambitious storyteller who celebrates characters actors and leading men and women alike."[107]
Year | Film | Rating |
---|---|---|
1995 | Bad Boys | 43%[108] |
1996 | The Rock | 67%[109] |
1998 | Armageddon | 43%[110] |
2001 | Pearl Harbor | 24%[111] |
2003 | Bad Boys II | 23%[112] |
2005 | The Island | 40%[113] |
2007 | Transformers | 57%[114] |
2009 | Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen | 20%[115] |
2011 | Transformers: Dark of the Moon | 35%[116] |
2013 | Pain & Gain | 50%[117] |
2014 | Transformers: Age of Extinction | 18%[118] |
2016 | 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi | 51%[119] |
2017 | Transformers: The Last Knight | 16%[120] |
2019 | 6 Underground | 36%[121] |
2022 | Ambulance | 68%[122] |
Average | 39% |
Accolades
References
- ^ "Monitor". Entertainment Weekly. No. 1194. February 17, 2012. p. 26.
- ^ Curtis, Brian (June 15, 2005). "The Bad Boy of Summer". Slate. The Slate Group. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
- ^ Schumacker, Patrick; Sobel, Ian (June 23, 2009). "The Michael Bay Explosion Tournament". ScreenJunkies.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
- ^ "Michael Bay Movie Box Office Results". boxofficemojo.com.
- ^ "Michael Bay Movie Box Office Results". boxofficemojo.com.
- ^ "The Institute". Archived from the original on November 16, 2010. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
- ^ Fleming, Michael (January 29, 2008). "New Line Sets Up New 'Nightmare'". Variety. Reed Elsevier. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
- ^ "Michael Bay Biography (1965–)". FilmReference.com. Advameg, Inc. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
- ^ Michael Bay Jewish Virtual Library - retrieved July 23, 2013
- ^ Abrams, Nathan (June 20, 2017). "The Secret Jewish History Of The Transformers". The Forward. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
As the adopted son of Jim and Harriet Bay, Michael was raised in a Jewish household.
- ^ Nevo, Joab (April 23, 2014). "Michael Bay Transforms His Transformers". Jewish Business News. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
- ^ "Linkin Park Rocks Russian Transformers Premiere". Orange News. June 24, 2011. Archived from the original on October 1, 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
- ^ Carroll, Larry (April 21, 2009). "Michael Bay Afraid to Offend Leonard Nimoy With Transformers Family Reunion Offer". MoviesBlog.MTV.com. MTV. Archived from the original on February 20, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
- ^ Boucher, Geoff (May 24, 2009). "Michael Bay, master of the 'huge canvas'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony (June 18, 2009). "'Transformers' blasts back: Another Michael Bay direct hit". USA Today. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
- ^ Vary, Adam B. (June 30, 2010). "Optimus Prime Time". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ Lauren, Nelson. "Biography". michaelbay.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ Pomerantz, Dorothy (June 22, 2009). "Michael Bay: Making Movies, Enemies and Money". Forbes. p. 2. Retrieved July 3, 2010.
- ^ Basinger, Jeanine (June 21, 1999). "Armageddon". The Criterion Collection. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Michael Bay- Biography". Yahoo! Movies. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ Hochman, David (July 10, 1998). "Is Michael Bay the Devil?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ "Shootout – Michael Bay". AMC TV. Archived from the original on June 22, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ "Got Milk? (Aaron Burr)". The Inspiration Room. May 15, 2009. Archived from the original on July 10, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ The Playlist Staff (April 23, 2013). "The Best Commercials & Music Videos Of Michael Bay". IndieWire. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ^ Wilson, Stephanie (September 5, 2008). "Behind the Camera". Haute Living. Seth Semilof. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
- ^ "Martin Lawrence Says Bad Boys 3 is Real". Worst Previews.com. April 21, 2010. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
- ^ Simon, Alex (February 28, 2008) [June 2001]. "Jerry Bruckheimer: The Hollywood Interview". reprinted by The Hollywood Interview.com (originally published by Venice Magazine). Nancy Martinez. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
- ^ Ascher-Walsh, Rebecca (February 6, 1996). "Death of a Hollywood Bad Boy". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
- ^ "1997 MTV Movie Awards – Winners". MTV. June 10, 1997. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
- ^ "Nominees and Winners for the 69th Annual Academy Awards". The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. March 24, 1997. Archived from the original on July 23, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
- ^ Henckel, Guido (February 1999). "DVD Review – Midas Touch of Destruction". DVD Review. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ Grover, Ronald (May 31, 2004). "Jerry Bruckheimer: Hollywood's Most Wanted". Businessweek – BW Online. McGraw-Hill. Archived from the original on June 2, 2004. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Nominees & Winners for the 71st Academy Awards". The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. March 21, 1999. Archived from the original on November 2, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ Gray, Brandon (July 1, 1999). "Daily Box Office: Mild, Mild West". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Armageddon (1998) – Box Office Mojo". October 11, 1998. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Nominees and Winners for the 74th Annual Academy Awards". The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. May 24, 2002. Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2010.
- ^ Horn, John (July 17, 2005). "You Call This Paradise?". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 11, 2010.
- ^ "Transformers (2007) - Box Office Mojo". boxofficemojo.com.
- ^ "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (June 23, 2010). "Reviews – Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen". Roger Ebert. Archived from the original on June 25, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
- ^ Philips, Michael (June 24, 2009). "And the popcorn transforms into earqplugs". Live!. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
- ^ Denby, David (July 6, 2009). "Tommy Guns and Toys". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
- ^ Nusair, David (June 26, 2009). "The AM Take". AskMen.com. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
- ^ Pols, Mary (June 24, 2009). "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Falls Short". Time. Archived from the original on June 25, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2010.
- ^ "30th Annual Dis-Honors for Cinematic Dreck: RAZZIE Voters Spread the Loathe Around". Golden Raspberry Awards. March 6, 2010. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
- ^ "Top-Selling DVDs of 2009". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. August 31, 2010. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
- ^ Drawbaugh, Ben (October 29, 2010). "Transformers 2 tops chart, best selling Blu-ray of all time?". Engadget. Archived from the original on November 25, 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
- ^ Lawler, Richard (April 26, 2010). "Avatar smashes Blu-ray sales records, has some owners ready to smash incompatible players". Engadget. Archived from the original on April 29, 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
- ^ Barr, Merrill (January 9, 2010). "Transformers 3 Set for 2011 at The Film Stage". The Film Stage. Archived from the original on August 26, 2010. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
- ^ "Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) - Box Office Mojo". boxofficemojo.com.
- ^ Lauren, Nelson (September 13, 2009). "Transformers 3, Pain & Gain, Bad Boys 3". michaelbay.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
- ^ Collins, Pete (December 23, 1999). "Pain & Gain". Miami New Times. Kevin Thornburg. Archived from the original on July 22, 2010. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
- ^ Wigler, Josh. "'Transformers' Director Michael Bay On His Next Movie, Taylor Lautner And 'Bad Boys 3'". MTV News.
- ^ Kit, Borys (January 20, 2010). ""Disturbia" director counts on "Four"". Reuters. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
- ^ Motoko, Rich (July 1, 2009). "HarperCollins Buys Series From James Frey". The New York Times. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
- ^ 'Transformers 4' arriving in June 2014 Archived December 30, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, CNN, February 14, 2012.
- ^ "Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)". Box Office Mojo.
- ^ McClintock, Patricia (August 4, 2016). "Michael Bay's Benghazi Film Gets Trump Bump in Home Video". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ Riley, Jenelle (May 23, 2017). "Michael Bay Reflects on His Career as He Receives Hands and Feet Honor". Variety. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 5, 2017). "'Transformers: The Last Knight' To Gallop Out Two Days Earlier In June". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 25, 2017). "Why 'Transformers' Is Screaming For Reboot After $68M Start; 'Wonder Woman' Steps On 'Cars 3' In 2nd-Place Fight – Monday AM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ "Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ a b c Eells, Josh (January 4, 2016). "13 Hours': Can Michael Bay Pull Off a Gritty Movie About Benghazi?". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (March 7, 2018). "Michael Bay Lining Up 'Robopocalypse' & '6 Underground' As Next Projects". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (October 1, 2019). "'6 Underground' Trailer: Ryan Reynolds Sums It Up – "This Is All So [Bleeping] Dangerous"". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 27, 2019). "Sony, Michael Bay Plot 'Black Five' Action Film". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
- ^ Mottram, Jake (March 17, 2022). "How Michael Bay made heist film 'Ambulance' with Jake Gyllenhaal in record time". The National. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
- ^ Ravindran, Manori (June 28, 2020). "Michael Bay's Pandemic Thriller 'Songbird' Scores First Sale with Germany's Leonine (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ "California Unveils 12 Upcoming Films Planning to Shoot in the State". The Hollywood Reporter. June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ "'A Quiet Place' Stars Emily Blunt, John Krasinski Want More Money From Paramount". Bloomberg News. May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (November 11, 2020). "Michael Bay To Direct Action-Thriller Ambulance With Jake Gyllenhaal In Talks To Star". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 14, 2021). "Ambulance Zooms To Early April". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 15, 2021.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 7, 2023). "Joe Barton & Michael Bay Bounty Hunter Drama In Works At Amazon From A+E Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ Fuller, Brad (December 21, 2009). "Platinum Dunes: The Official Site". Bloody Disgusting. Brad Miska and Tom Owen. Archived from the original on June 12, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2010.
- ^ "Digital Domain acquired by Galloping Horse". Variety. September 22, 2012.
- ^ Com, Michael Bay Dot (December 9, 2009). "Victoria's Secret "A Thousand Fantasies" (90 sec)" – via Vimeo.
- ^ McNary, Dave (August 25, 2015). "Michael Bay's 451 Media Group Launching Interactive Publishing Arm". Variety.
- ^ Wickline, Dan (August 25, 2015). "Michael Bay's 451 Media Group To Publish Hi-Tech Graphic Novels". Bleeding Cool.
- ^ Damore, Meagan (August 25, 2015). "Michael Bay's 451 Media Group Announces Interactive Graphic Novels" Archived August 12, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Comic Book Resources.
- ^ Kamen, Matt (August 26, 2015). "Michael Bay is launching a range of 'augmented reality comics'". Wired.
- ^ "VR explosions are en route as Michael Bay teams with The Rogue Initiative". June 21, 2016.
- ^ a b Diamond, Jamie (July 17, 2003). "AT HOME WITH – Michael Bay – A Slam-Bang Master with a House of Om". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ Lauren, Nelson (May 6, 2007). "Sunday Post". michaelbay.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ "Mason Rock Bay". IMDb. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
- ^ David, Mark (September 6, 2011). "Michael Bay Bails in Montecito". Variety. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
- ^ Miller, Julie (January 5, 2016). "Michael Bay's Astronomical Net Worth Revealed (by Michael Bay)". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ Cheshire, Godfrey; Zoller Seitz, Matt; White, Armond (2020). The Press Gang: Writings on Cinema from New York Press, 1991-2011. Seven Stories Press.
- ^ Selcke, Dan (July 7, 2014). "Here's a learned analysis of why Michael Bay movies are bad, but pretty". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 16, 2016. "No matter how many buildings, spacecrafts, [sic] and sentient robots Michael Bay explodes, the director can't seem to get any respect. His movies are panned by critics, and his bombastic filmmaking style is routinely mocked by respectable, erudite writers on the Internet."
- ^ Curtis, Bryan (June 15, 2005). "The Bad Boy of Summer: Michael Bay vs. his Critics." Slate.com. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (June 23, 2017). "Here Are The 555 Times Michael Bay Has Used Product Placement". IndieWire. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ Goble, Andrew (January 30, 2019). "Why this stylized filter is all over your Instagram feed". Fast Company. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ Tartar, Andre (July 3, 2011). "Michael Bay Recycles Scenes From His Earlier Films". Vulture. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ Heritage, Stuart (December 12, 2019). "Every Michael Bay film – ranked!". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ a b Stern, Marlow (June 1, 2016). "The World According to Michael Bay, the Donald Trump of Cinema". The Daily Beast. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ "What Michael Bay films taught us about women". GQ. August 4, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ "Ranking Michael Bay's movies by how well they blow s**t up". SYFY Official Site. April 8, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- ^ Michel, Lindsay (February 25, 2020). "The 10 Best Explosions in Michael Bay's Movies, Ranked". ScreenRant. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
- ^ "'Transformers' Director Michael Bay Fends Off Racist Robot Criticism". Access Online. June 24, 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- ^ Piaella, Gabriella (June 1, 2016). "A Condensed History of Michael Bay Being a Sexist Jerk". The Cut. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
- ^ Stern, Marlow (February 8, 2018). "When Michael Bay Degraded Megan Fox—Then Tried to Sabotage Her Career". The Daily Beast. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
- ^ a b Finn, Natalie (June 1, 2016). "Michael Bay's Chauvinist Reputation Remains Intact and No One Seems Less Concerned About That Than Michael Bay". E!. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- ^ a b Buchanan, Kyle (June 26, 2014). "7 Ways to Tell You're a Woman in a Michael Bay Movie". Vulture. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
- ^ a b Willer, Julie (December 11, 2018). "Why Megan Fox Isn't Sharing Her #MeToo Stories". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ "Transformers: A reminder that Megan Fox auditioned for the movie by washing Michael Bay's car while he filmed it". Flickering Myth. June 12, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ Solomons, Jason (July 4, 2009). "Trailer trash: Duncan Jones follows his dad into space | Hats off to Johnny Depp | How Megan Fox got the job". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
- ^ "Megan Fox Addresses 'Sexualized' Michael Bay Audition on Instagram". The Blast. June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ Hertz, Barry (June 12, 2014). "How Michael Bay transformed the blockbuster". Macleans.ca.
- ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of Bad Boys". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of The Rock". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of Armageddon". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of Pearl Harbor". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of Bad Boys II". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of The Island". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of Transformers". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of Transformers: Dark of the Moon". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Rotten Tomatoes T-Meter Rating of Pain & Gain". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 20, 2013.
- ^ "Transformers: Age of Extinction". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
- ^ "Transformers: The Last Knight". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
- ^ "6 Underground". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
- ^ "Ambulance". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
External links
![](http://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20240621005226im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Michael Bay
- 1965 births
- Living people
- 20th-century American Jews
- 20th-century American male actors
- 21st-century American Jews
- 21st-century American male actors
- Action film directors
- Advertising directors
- American adoptees
- American male film actors
- American music video directors
- American people of Russian-Jewish descent
- American television producers
- ArtCenter College of Design alumni
- Crossroads School alumni
- Directors Guild of America Award winners
- Film directors from Los Angeles
- Film producers from California
- Jewish film people
- Jewish American male actors
- Psi Upsilon
- Science fiction film directors
- Skydance Media people
- Television commercial directors
- Wesleyan University alumni