Confirming unofficial reports from eagle-eyed set snoopers earlier in the week, Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura has told Beijing News that the Dinobots will indeed be making an appearance in Michael Bay's Transformers 4. Yes, really.
"I can not disclose the specifics, but you can be sure that the arrival of the Dinobots will give the audience a lot to be excited about. The world's coolest, most exciting cars will appear in the film, including Chinese vehicles, so whether you are a car enthusiast or not, it will be a feast for the eyes."
You can read more of the interview over on Transformers fansite Tformers.com, but be warned: it's not a perfect translation, so do take some of what you read with a grain of salt.
If you're not in the know about The Dinobots, or never watched them on the telly as a little 'un, then allow us to list the team. There's Grimlock (Tyrannosaurus rex and team leader, seen above in the Fall Of Cybertron video game), Slag (Triceratops and Grimlock's number two), Sludge (Apatosaurus), Snarl (Stegosaurus), Swoop (Pteranodon) and Paddles (Elasmosaurus, though he's only in the comic books).
They are as you'd expect: robots that turn into dinosaur-shaped robots. Interestingly, they're called 'Dinotrons' in Japan, but that really is a side note. What's more important is how on earth they'll fit into the fourth Transformers movie - something that may or may not be made easier by the character reboot the franchise is getting, with Pain & Gain alum Mark Wahlberg and Hollywood newcomer Jack Reynor (What Richard Did) now starring.
Other confirmed details include the time setting, which is four years after the Invasion Of Chicago seen in Transformers: Dark Of The Moon, and the characters' roles: Wahlberg is a struggling inventor and single father to Tessa (Nicola Peltz) who in turn is going out with race car driver Shane (Reynor). Kelsey Grammer plays bad guy Harold Attinger. Brum has not been confirmed.
But enough with these words! Now is the time to watch YouTube clips of the cartoon Dinobots as they do their thing. Click play below to do so, and remember that the as-yet untitled Transformers 4 is aiming for a June 27 release next year.