Following up on Transformers 5 (2016) movie, we have some confirmation on the status of Michael Bay. We even have the release date of June 24, 2016, as well as some rumor of the cast and possible plots.  The latest news confirms who the new director might be, as well as dispelling rumors of the possibility of a G.I. Joe crossover. 

One of the things we previously reported about Transformers 5 is that it sounds like Michael Bay is indeed out.  According to Crossmap, Michael Bay isn't leaving the franchise, as he will stay on as executive producer or producer.  So who is taking over as director? None other than Jonathan Liebesman, director of the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot, which Bay served as executive producer. 

Michael Bay, who is known for his fast-paced movies and lots of explosions, isn't exactly universally praised by filmgoers.  According to Cinema Blend, he has said in a recent interview that "there's kind of a new chapter, a new direction in movies I want to make. I have a lot of stories to tell. And it's about flexing new muscles." 

So I suppose that we should call Bay out on this one.  So what about Mark Wahlberg, who played the human side of the Transformers in the last film?  All rumors seem to point to Wahlberg being in, reprising his role as struggling inventor Cade Yeager. 

There really isn't much more to discover about Transformers 5.  In fact, the official imdb site only has the release date of June 24, 2016.  It also has the writer, Ehren Kruger, who is known for many screenplays, including the last three Transformers films. 

The imdb site also has no word on plot, but there are always rumors going on about bringing aboard Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson and creating a G.I. Joe and Transformers crossover film.  Considering that Hasbro owns the rights to both franchises, it could be a potential box-office draw.  However, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, the producer of the Transformers, has stated in an interview that this crossover was "not a realistic proposition, at least not in the near future". 

His official comment appeared on Enstarz as Bonaventura said:  "It's not something we talk about either. There's a lot more story to be told in both cases. And I think if at some moment we think, 'You know what? It's time to bring the two of them together, 'we'll do that. But I think they're strong enough to exist on their own."  

As for as the plot goes, we have also reported on some sort of plot where Optimus Prime meets the creators of the Autobots and Decepticons in space, and this certainly seemed to be what Transformers 4 was leading up to when Optimus Prime just blasted off from Earth at the very end. 

Unfortunately, if they don't get on the set as far as filming Transformers 5 is concerned, the film could be delayed.  We have reported before that the studio wants to put out a new Transformers movie every two years, which was the gap for the first three films.  A delay could move Transformers 5 release date from 2016 to 2017.