Seems like Michael Bay hasn't lost any steam after spending the last 7 or so years working on TRANSFORMERS and is ready to tackle something besides autonomous robotic organisms. With the recent success of his "small" film, PAIN AND GAIN, Bay may well be reinvigorated as he's discussed tackling a self-financed horror film and is now onboard to produce and potentially direct Neal Bascomb's WWII nonfiction pitch, SABOTAGE (not to be confused with David Ayer's film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger). Bascomb has written numerous historical novels, including "Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi" and "The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi" So, if you're into Nazi hunting, then Bascomb is your guy.
Here's the synopsis of the pitch:
Set in 1942, the story follows a brilliant scientist who flees the Gestapo to inform the Allies that the Nazis are secretly developing a nuclear program at an industrial fortress called Vermork deep in the mountainous expanse of Norway’s Telemark region. Knowing that Hitler gaining nuclear capabilities would be unthinkably catastrophic, the Allies assemble a fearless team of nine Norwegian refugee commandos to infiltrate the Nazi-occupied country. In an apparent suicide mission, this team must brave the arctic landscape and pull off an impossibly daring assault on Vermork, which sits perched on impenetrable, icy cliffs. With little more than parachutes, skis, tommy guns, and explosives, the team is the Allies’ only hope to halt Hitler’s nuclear ambitions, and their adventure is one of WWII most thrilling, action-packed tales.
Sounds like some ICE STATION ZEBRA shit, no? I like this. I like that Bay is moving out of the robot business, be it for the horror or action genre. I'm a fan of his work and would very much like to see more films like THE ROCK and BAD BOYS 1 & 2 than more of the toy-to-screen franchises.
Bay's TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION blows up theaters on June 27, 2014.