'Transformers' 5 Cast, Release Date, News & Update: Hong Kong, London Shoot Lined Up, Will Not Star Megan Fox

"Transformers 5" characters Optimus Prime voiced by Peter Cullen ("Transformers: Robots in Disguise") and Cade Yeager played by Mark Wahlberg ("Deep Water Horizon") will soon be joined by a plethora of new cast and characters in the "Transformers" franchise. Directing "Transformers 5" is love-him-or-hate-him "Transformers" veteran Michael Bay ("13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi").

According to Screen Rant, pre-production for "Transformers 5" is well on track with London and Detroit among the firmed up locations for the film's shoot. A part of the production for "Transformers 5" may also be set in Hong Kong. In "Transformers: Age Of Extinction" Detroit was used as a stand in for Hong Kong. For now, casting call has been released on Transformers World TWF 2005 for principal actors and extras who will be able to go on location with "Transformers 5" in London and Detroit.

Screen Rant also reiterates that Transformers is also going the route that Marvel took and is being primed by Paramount in cooperation with various major studios for a shared cinematic universe. Paramount targets this for "Transformers 5," "Transformers 6" and "Transformers 7." Planned Bumblebee spin-offs will also be part of this universe.

In the meantime, Michael Bay, whom fans though has finally said "sayonara" to the franchise is coming back for "Transformers 5." Bay had previously said that "Transformers: Dark Of The Moon" and "Transformers: Age Of Extinction" were each to be his last "Transformers" work. The success of the reboot treatment of "Transformers: Age Of Extinction" may have upped Bay more than a few points for Paramount.

Mark Wahlberg's Cade Yeager as the new protagonist in "Transformers: Age Of Extinction" replacing previous key characters Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf, "American Honey"), Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows") and Major Lennox (Josh Duhammel, "11.22.63") was a fresh treatment that was welcomed well commercially speaking.

While early reports were hopeful that Megan Fox will finally return in a key role for "Transformers 5," this is not the case. A previous report on Movie Pilot says that if Megan Fox should appear in "Transformers 5" it would likely be in the range of a cameo and it will be Michael Bay's call.

"If [Bay] ever wanted me to do a cameo like assembling an autobot motorcycle in a bike shop or something like that, I would totally do it," Fox said.

Digital Spy reports that "Transformers 5" will see a June 23, 2017 theater release. Screen Rant says that the Bumblebee spinoff may be expected in theaters on June 8, 2018 and "Transformers 6" on June 28, 2019.