Early Ron Friedman Draft of TFTM Available for Download

Discussion in 'Transformers News and Rumors' started by Anguirus, Dec 10, 2010.

  1. Anguirus

    Anguirus Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Posts:
    11,270
    News Credits:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    312
    Likes:
    +583
    Ebay:
    Jim Sorenson has made a PDF of a draft for Transformers: The Movie (dated 4/27/1985) available for download.

    Disciples of Boltax

    I apologize if this isn't "newsworthy" seeing as how it concerns a film made before I was born, but AFAIK this is the first time this script has been released to the public. Some of the details did seem a bit familiar from sources such as the Wiki and the DVD commentary, but many of the details were completely new to me. The hard copy itself will also be available for auction.

    This is a fascinating read, I just blew through all 200 pages. Highlights:

    -Unicron is truly a planet, with an atmosphere and geological features. We are introduced to a strange presence that commands the planet "Unicron" but is itself known as "Ingestor." When he finally reveals his ability to transform the planet itself into his body, Ingestor is described radically differently, with mechanical analogues of very "organic" seeming features such as hair, bones, and a stomach.

    -Several different versions of the opening shuttle sequence are included in this draft. Interestingly, they all have Prowl getting gunned down by Scavenger, as in this finished product. In fact, despite the overall different nature of this draft, a lot of specific scenes were borrowed from it, explaining cryptic character appearances in the final film such as Shrapnel's on Junkion.

    -This has been reported before, but the overall level of violence and "gore" is a tick higher. There are some differences in who's alive and who's dead at the end of the film, some of which surprised me quite a bit.

    -The concept of "Life Sparks" is absolutely essential to the film, which is interesting considering it was clearly set aside and not dusted off for years.

    -There is no Matrix. This makes the story seem a lot more random and disjointed, and the Matrix concept was clearly borrowed from the comics in order to help the movie hang together better. Something I wouldn't have guessed.

    -There is an Autobot combiner who we've never heard of before who fights Devastator! The "Ani-Bots" don't talk, but they kick serious ass. They actually are described a LOT like Predaking, but with one difference (buffalo instead of bull) and their combined form is clearly a "dragon."

    -There is a rather compelling, if minor, subplot where the Decepticons take over Earth and Blaster leads a resistance movement against them.

    -Some of the characters are noticeably different. Hot Rod is much more immature in the beginning. Springer is more clearly the second-in-command. Oddly, he seems very powerful in this draft but is not a triple-changer.

    -This draft is 200 pages long...much too long to film. While this results in some cool extra detail, much of the time is wasted with inexplicable scenes like the Dinobots getting outsmarted by a Quintesson.

    -If you thought Daniel sucked before, he's insufferable here. Spike is never mentioned so his presence is totally inexplicable. And his exosuit makes him easily as powerful as any Autobot.

    -The end battle is just really awful and slapsticky, for the most part. "How can they defeat Ingestor in 20 pages? They'll make him slap himself around a bit!"

    -There seem to be a lot fewer Decepticon deaths, oddly, but some of them are singled out for a lot of punishment, Thundercracker in particular. Oh, and Dirge and Astrotrain have comparatively huge roles. Most of Dirge's part in the script was outright replaced by Starscream in the final film...a vast improvement.

    -One area in which this draft is FAR superior is clarifying Hot Rod's role in the death of Optimus. If a little of this material had been maintained, the "Hot Rod sucks" movement would probably be a lot smaller.
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • News Credit News Credit x 1
  2. DrGrim

    DrGrim OBEY

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2005
    Posts:
    4,457
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    312
    Location:
    Ohio
    Likes:
    +380
    Ebay:
    Facebook:
    Neato. I'm interested.
     
  3. blue death

    blue death Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2008
    Posts:
    4,654
    News Credits:
    15
    Trophy Points:
    262
    Likes:
    +22
    This is actually damn interesting and newsworthy to me! Nice find!
     
  4. netkid

    netkid Where's my Goddamn shoe!

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2002
    Posts:
    12,811
    News Credits:
    38
    Trophy Points:
    362
    Location:
    Hasbroland, Rhode Island
    Likes:
    +2,166
    Ebay:
    Instagram:
    YouTube (Legacy):
    Could you tell us where (page #)? Sorry, but I just don't have the time right now to go through 200 pages for one thing.
     
  5. Thundershot

    Thundershot Ratchet Fanatic

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2002
    Posts:
    38,127
    News Credits:
    11
    Trophy Points:
    442
    Location:
    Mineral Ridge, OH, USA
    Likes:
    +43,233
    Ebay:
    I'll have to download it when I get back on my computer...
     
  6. wildfly

    wildfly Fermenting pork tube.

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2009
    Posts:
    14,950
    News Credits:
    35
    Trophy Points:
    337
    Location:
    Over There
    Likes:
    +2,068
    If this isn't newsworthy, i don't know what is.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  7. Backscatter

    Backscatter Autobot Brainmaster TFW2005 Supporter

    Joined:
    Mar 24, 2003
    Posts:
    6,753
    News Credits:
    3
    Trophy Points:
    241
    Likes:
    +22
    page 29. Hot Rod: It's all my fault!

    I've known that for years Hot Rod.
     
  8. Anguirus

    Anguirus Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Posts:
    11,270
    News Credits:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    312
    Likes:
    +583
    Ebay:
    ^ This, plus the staging in this script (as opposed to the final animation) makes it clearer that Prime was likely to get blasted in the gut without Hot Rod there. Megatron seems to hold him hostage himself rather than rely on him as a shield...the "Out of the way Hot Rod!" line is absent IIRC, so Prime's last words before getting wounded aren't chastising Hot Rod.

    Oh, and in this draft Hot Rod is crippled with guilt and has to be consoled by Kup and Arcee. Even though it seems to be less of his fault in the first place. These minor changes really show that at SOME point in the scripting process, the danger of making Hot Rod unlikable by being involved in Prime's death was realized and steps were taken to acknowledge this and help the audience move on. I'm not sure why they disregarded this later, but it was a likely casualty of just having way too much plot and too many characters for the length of the film.
     
  9. Sol Fury

    Sol Fury The British Butcher Veteran

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2002
    Posts:
    36,363
    News Credits:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    422
    Likes:
    +1,999
    Facebook:
    Instagram:
    Incredible! You do not get a chance to read something like this very often. Many mega-thanks to Jim Sorenson and everyone who worked together to get this out into the public domain - it promises to be a VERY interesting read.

    Ani-bots? Love it!
     
  10. Bumblebee

    Bumblebee Artist/Colorist Monkey

    Joined:
    Jul 3, 2002
    Posts:
    323
    Trophy Points:
    182
    Likes:
    +17
    This was INCREDIBLY amazing D:!!!
    I want to see this done up now...
     
  11. ORIO

    ORIO Team Sentinel Prime Moderator News Staff

    Joined:
    Jul 2, 2002
    Posts:
    20,562
    News Credits:
    37
    Trophy Points:
    412
    Location:
    Albuquerque
    Likes:
    +784
    Ebay:
    I want to see these "ani-bots"!

    Also, can you go into a little more depth about the "gore"
     
  12. chrisr291

    chrisr291 Master of the Unknown

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2009
    Posts:
    14,879
    News Credits:
    9
    Trophy Points:
    312
    Likes:
    +9,366
    Ebay:
    That is going to be one interesting read. I like the small resistance story line with Sunstreaker, Blaster, and Wheeljack (he made it?). Makes you wonder why they couldn't squeeze more of this storyline into the film and dump that weird dance/kiss scene with the Junkions.:2c: 
     
    • Like Like x 1
  13. Rotorstorm

    Rotorstorm Wreck n’ rule

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2004
    Posts:
    14,403
    News Credits:
    13
    Trophy Points:
    362
    Location:
    East Midlands, UK
    Likes:
    +23,863
    Ebay:
    Thanks to the guys who clubbed together and posted it. Absolutely fantastic from what I've read so far.

    the deaths on the shuttle are plain horrific, Brawn was either to get blasted in half or eaten by the insecticons.
     
  14. GetterDragun

    GetterDragun Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2004
    Posts:
    1,414
    News Credits:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    232
    Likes:
    +15
    Funny how the Lion Anibot is called "Simba".
     
  15. Coaxial

    Coaxial Hop on the beam

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2008
    Posts:
    676
    Trophy Points:
    202
    Likes:
    +570
    Seriously, this is mind-blowing stuff. Further thanks to Jim and all the others who helped get this in the hands of fellow Transfans everywhere. Very freaking cool to be able to read this!
     
  16. G1_Cindersaur

    G1_Cindersaur Banned

    Joined:
    Jul 10, 2010
    Posts:
    3,292
    News Credits:
    2
    Trophy Points:
    151
    Likes:
    +5
    downloaded and saved for weekend reading!
     
  17. Anguirus

    Anguirus Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2009
    Posts:
    11,270
    News Credits:
    8
    Trophy Points:
    312
    Likes:
    +583
    Ebay:
    Uh, aside from the ridiculously over-the-top shuttle scene, in which bots are melted down, fused into one, and blown in half...("spoilers" below)





    Bluestreak of all bots chops Thundercracker in half with a lightsaber, and in the same scene Hound is blasting legs off. Starscream's "my foot" scene is much more involved, he tears off the whole "boot" structure from his leg. Gears is blown up by Cyclonus and then the Armada chops Windcharger into neat pieces with their wings. There are a lot more references to "fuse him!" and "melt them" i.e. as an order to fire lasers. Yeah. Oh, and Galvatron "kills" Ultra Magnus on Junkion with a goddamn murder saw.

    The Prime/Megatron fight is actually not significantly more savage, with the exception of Prime's final blow compressing Megatron's chest cavity so much that mechanisms pop out the sides.
     
  18. Foster

    Foster Haslab Victory Saber Backer #3 Veteran

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2003
    Posts:
    40,963
    News Credits:
    13
    Trophy Points:
    447
    Likes:
    +40,749
    I love seeing Thundercracker and Skywarp still showing up in the final act.
     
  19. Optimus1986

    Optimus1986 TMNT & Hulk Fanatic

    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2008
    Posts:
    3,916
    Trophy Points:
    151
    Likes:
    +2
    Ah, good old Ron Friedman.
     
  20. Orbital

    Orbital Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2009
    Posts:
    859
    News Credits:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    237
    Likes:
    +101
    I was just curious but aside from the space shuttle scene, who else in the early draft suffered a completely different fate to what they had in the completed movie? i.e Wheeljack, Hound and Mirage?