Producers for the fourth installment of the Transformers franchise have unveiled the first of what was promised to be a slate of Chinese stars to be featured in the film.
A report on -- a Chinese film-related portal operated by the state-owned China Movie Channel, one of the film's three co-producers -- quoted a statement from Paramount Pictures, Sid Ganis' Jiaflix Enterprises and China Movie Channel as saying that Resident Evil: Retribution star Li Bingbing will board the production. She will soon be joined by other well-known actors as well as newcomers recruited from a talent-scouting competition.
With production slated to begin later in the year, the latest entry to Michael Bay's blockbuster franchise is set for release on June 27, 2014.
With the involvement of financiers and actors from China as well as promises of having parts of the film set and shot in the country, the film is designed to qualify as a Sino-U.S. co-production – which allows the movie to circumvent the Chinese import quota and also take a bigger proportion of box office earnings in what is now the second-biggest source of box office revenue in the world.
娱乐快讯：5月19日，导演迈克尔·贝、派拉蒙公司以及电影频道电影网正式宣布，内地女星李冰冰将加盟《变形金刚4》，与马克·沃尔伯格、斯坦利·图齐等好莱坞大牌明星共同出演本片，她也成为首位加盟《变形金刚4》的中国演员。
根据之前与派拉蒙公司的协议，电影网将会对《变形金刚4》在中国的取景、影片选角、后期制作以及宣传推广等多方面提供协助。对于李冰冰的加盟，导演迈克尔·贝表达了自己的欣喜：“能够与李冰冰合作让我十分兴奋，她的加盟为影片阵容更添星光。”李冰冰也表示，十分期待此次与迈克尔·贝的合作，她说：“《变形金刚》系列影片影响了一代中国影迷，它在中国有着广大的观众基础。能够参与这样的国际巨制我感到十分高兴。”
《变形金刚4》还会以公开招募的方式选拔4位中国演员，何润东、雷佳音、陈雅丽、付梦妮、穆婷婷等已报名参选。
（以上新闻来源京华时报）