Ever since Megan Fox unexpectedly ditched **Transformers 3 (or, if you prefer the studio's take, became surplus to requirements), Paramount and Michael Bay have been on a worldwide hunt for a replacement. Several possibilities have been mooted, with Gemma Arteton’s name in the mix. But now it would appear that one of the front-runners has scored the role: newcomer Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
Who she? The 23-year-old Brit, mostly known for her work as a Victoria’s Secret model, doesn’t exactly have a long acting CV but did have a leg-up on the competition: she’d worked with Bay on a recent ad for the lingerie company, so she knows what she’s in for.
Bay had better take good care of her, though – recent reports had her dating Jason Statham, and The Stath’s sure to have “words” should Whitely report any trouble on the set.
Huntington-Whitely made the short list alongside actress Sarah Wright and fellow model Brooklyn Decker. But according to Deadline, the job is Rosie’s to lose. Bay has a little time to change his mind, though – a love interest for Shia is not needed to shoot on set for another couple of weeks.
One day, of course, Bay will finally push the ILM team hard enough that they’ll create his dream actress: a CG model with perfect measurements who never needs to take a break, doesn’t complain about skimpy shorts and can outrun any fireball ever invented. Until then, looks like Double-Barrel Features here is the next best thing.