WARNING: Spoilers for “Transformers: Age of Extinction” are ahead.

“So, Optimus. Where are you going?”

That’s a legitimate question the audience might be asking after the end of “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” The film ends with Optimus Prime blasting off into outer space to seek out “the Creators” who wanted him so badly, they hired a killer bounty hunter to track him down.

With Prime moving on from Earth, it’s worth wondering where the “Transformers” series goes now that it’s off our planet. Where should Prime head next? Here are seven of our picks for the “Transformers” series’ next ideal destination:

Cybertron
We’ve seen Optimus and Megatron slug it out all over Earth. What about their home world? Sure, we’ve seen bits and pieces of Cybertron over the years, but why not spend an entire movie there? If human characters need to enter the mix, then bring Cade Yeager or Sam Witwicky or whoever along to Cybertron, and fill out the rest of the cast with nothing but Transformers. It’s time to see the ‘bots on their own turf.

Quintessa
Prime wants to meet his maker. Well, that would bring him directly on the path of the Quintessons, known in “Transformers” lore for creating the Transformers. These robots feature five faces with unique personalities, and they’re known for handing out harsh and swift judgment. Sounds like the exact type of creature that needs a Prime-powered punch to the mouth.

Unicron
If you don’t know Unicron, get acquainted. He’s the big bad motherfrakker of the “Transformers” ...

With Reporting by Josh Horowitz

A little tension goes a long way, at least where Michael Bay is concerned.

The “Transformers: Age of Extinction” filmmaker spoke with MTV News in Hong Kong about his relationship with fans of the “Transformers” franchise. Everyone has an opinion about Optimus Prime, from fans of the Autobot leader’s 1980s roots to his current incarnation on the big-screen. And while some of these fans are vocally against Bay’s vision of “Transformers,” the director himself is all about the outcry.

“They love to hate, and I don’t care; let them hate,” he told MTV’s Josh Horowitz. “They’re still going to see the movie! I think it’s good to get a little tension. Very good.”

“I used to get bothered by it,” he continued, “but I think it’s good to get the dialogue going. It makes me think, and it keeps me on my toes, so it’s good.”

In fact, Bay’s flirtation with fan ire doesn’t end with “Transformers.” He’s the producer of this summer’s coming “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” directed by Jonathan Liebesman. Like “Transformers,” the “Ninja Turtles” reboot has been the subject of some online debate. But with “Age of Extinction” now finally hitting theaters, Bay is only now starting to think about what the reaction to “Turtles” might be.

“I’m just starting to get into that more,” he said. “The Turtles are great looking, so we’ll see.”

“Transformers: Age of Extinction” is in theaters now.

Josh Wigler

He’s best known for his crude humor and pop culture references, but Seth MacFarlane’s interests extend beyond the realm of comedy and into the world of education.

Case in point: The “Family Guy” and “American Dad” creator has made a massive pledge to LeVar Burton’s “Reading Rainbow” Kickstarter campaign. MacFarlane has promised to match every dollar pledged in the five remaining days of the Kickstarter campaign, up to $1 million.

“This all means one thing: there has never been a better time to bring new people into this campaign,” Burton wrote on the “Reading Rainbow” Kickstarter page. “Every new dollar you add to your pledge, or spend on an add-on reward, or convince your friends and relatives to add, will get us two dollars to help schools.”

The “Reading Rainbow” Kickstarter is designed to bring the educational program to web-connected homes and classrooms across the nation. In meeting its initial $1 million goal, “Reading Rainbow” will already be available in over 1,500 classrooms at no cost to schools. A $5 million stretch goal was designed to make “Reading Rainbow” available to 7,500 classrooms, but thanks to MacFarlane’s pledge, reaching the $5 million goal will add an additional $1 million to the cause — meaning if the stretch goal is reached, “Reading Rainbow” will be available in 12,500 classrooms across the country.

It’s not MacFarlane’s first major effort on the educational front. He’s also an executive producer on “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,” the educational program hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Read More →

Snow White’s “Twilight” days may be over.

Universal Pictures is pushing forward with a sequel to “Snow White and the Huntsman,” the gritty fairy tale adaptation that saw Kristen Stewart playing the legendary princess, with “Thor” star Chris Hemsworth as her Huntsman. But according to one source, only one of those two will be involved in the sequel.

“Kristen Stewart is not expected to return for ‘SWATH 2,’” reports The Wrap’s Jeff Sneider, “which is expected to emphasize Chris Hemsworth’s role as the titular Huntsman.”

That’s a big blow for fans who flocked to the first film specifically because of Stewart’s involvement. But perhaps there’s something to be said for following the Huntsman on his own adventures without being tied to the Snow story.

One encouraging sign for the sequel is its new director: Frank Darabont, the visionary filmmaker responsible for “The Shawshank Redemption” and “The Green Mile.” He’s also the man who originally adapted “The Walking Dead” for AMC, before his unceremonious departure from the series at the start of season two. His unique visual style and eye for finding light through dark themes could work wonders with the tale of the Huntsman.

What do you make of Stewart’s possible “Snow White” departure?

Josh Wigler

With Reporting by Josh Horowitz

Fair warning, readers: If you don’t want to have one of the most well-guarded secrets in Hollywood ruined for you, read no further.

Speaking with MTV News at the “Transformers: Age of Extinction” junket, Mark Wahlberg dropped a massive bombshell that fans of the robot-smashing franchise never could have seen coming.

You ready for it? Watch below and see for yourself…

That’s right: Optimus Prime is real.

“He’s there. He’s real,” swears Wahlberg. “He was there.”

Bet you didn’t see that one coming, did you? That’s because millions and millions of dollars are spent on every single “Transformers” film convincing audiences that Prime and his fellow Autobots aren’t real. But they totally are, and Wahlberg is sick of covering up for Hollywood’s most private celebrities.

“See, that’s what they do,” the actor revealed about the various robots in the “Transformers” films. “They want to convince people that they’re not real. They are real.”

Eventually, Wahlberg dialed back on revealing Prime’s big secret, after one of the Autobot leader’s bodyguards threatened the human actor’s personal safety in an off-camera segment. When the cameras started rolling again, Wahlberg revealed what it takes to act opposite an “imaginary” robot like Optimus Prime, who is absolutely, totally not real.

Really.

“You just have to go for it,” he advised. “Ten or fifteen years ago, I couldn’t have done it. I was too self-conscious and too worried about looking cool. But we just go out there, and I realize now that I’m not cool, so who gives ...

Warning: Major spoilers for the “Game of Thrones” novels, and potentially the show, are ahead.

“Game of Thrones” fans who read the “A Song of Ice and Fire” novels that the show is based on suffered severe disappointment at the end of the season four finale. That’s because one of the saga’s most unusual characters didn’t show up as expected — a character known as Lady Stoneheart.

In the books, Lady Stoneheart, a resurrected version of the murdered Catelyn Stark, leads a band of outlaws against all of the Frey and Lannister forces who betrayed and killed her son Robb at the Red Wedding. She appears at the very end of the third novel in the series, and by that logic, fans expected to see her at the end of the season four finale. But it never happened, leaving some fans to wonder if Stoneheart would ever appear on the HBO series.

Now, based on an interview with Catelyn Stark actress Michelle Fairley, it doesn’t sound likely to happen. Fairley told Entertainment Weekly that while she’s aware of the Stoneheart concept, the Catelyn of “Game of Thrones” is very much deceased.

“Yeah, the character’s dead. She’s dead,” she said. “You respect the writers’ decision. I knew the arc, and that was it. They can’t stick to the books 100 percent. It’s impossible—they only have 10 hours per season. They have got to keep it dramatic and exciting, and extraneous stuff along the way gets lost in order to ...

Warning: Possible spoilers for “Game of Thrones” season five are ahead.

All men must die — and all men must return.

The Faceless Man known as Jaqen H’ghar looks poised for a “Game of Thrones” comeback on the HBO fantasy show’s upcoming fifth season. Winter Is Coming reports that actor Tom Wlaschiha will reprise his role as the face-changing assassin in season five of “Thrones,” his first appearance since he helped Arya escape the harrowing halls of Harrenhal back in season two.

HBO has not confirmed Wlaschiha’s return to the series, so consider the news nothing more than rumor for now. Still, it’s a pretty exciting possibility, considering what book-readers know of Jaqen’s role in the future of the series.

On that note, BOOK SPOILERS ahead.

Jaqen returns at the start of “A Feast for Crows,” the fourth novel in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, using a new face and name to infiltrate the Citadel of Oldtown, where Westeros’ many maesters are trained. Jaqen’s reason for coming to Oldtown isn’t clear quite yet, but many fans speculate he’s aiming to steal an artifact that could have devastating consequences for the future of the “Ice and Fire” odyssey.

It’s possible that Jaqen’s Oldtown story will come into play during season five, but given the current position of many characters on the show, and the fact that the show is starting to deviate from the books more and more with each passing episode, there’s another scenario worth considering.

Stemming ...

“Nobody f—s with The Jesus” — nobody, it seems, except John Turturro himself.

The actor responsible for bringing ball-licking bowler Jesus Quintana to life in “The Big Lebowski” is itching to reprise his role in an upcoming movie. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Turturro made it clear that he wants one more chance to play “The Jesus” in a “Big Lebowski” spinoff.

“If I can get the permission I need, I’d like to return to that role,” he said, with a new film possible for next year.

Of course, striking out with The Jesus is easier said than done. The character belongs to Joel and Ethan Coen, the masterminds behind “The Big Lebowski.” They’ve resisted the urge to return to the “Big Lebowski” well on multiple occasions, despite fans’ best wishes. If he can get the Coen Brothers’ permission, perhaps Turturro would direct a movie about The Jesus all on his own; in addition to acting, Turturro has made quite a name for himself recently behind the camera, with films like “Fading Gigolo” and a segment of “Rio, I Love You.”

Count us on board for a full-length “The Big The Jesus” movie, as long as it’s just two hours of this scene over and over again:

Do you want to see Turturro’s planned “Lebowski” spinoff?

Josh Wigler

Caleb Bankston, a former contestant on the CBS reality series “Survivor,” has died. He was 26.

Bankston was an employee of the Alabama Warrior Railway in Birmingham, Alabama. He was killed on Tuesday (June 24) when the train he was working on derailed, according to People.com.

“Caleb was an amazing man and friend,” Bankston’s fellow contestant Aras Baskauskas told People in a statement. “One of the sweetest and most sincere humans I’ve ever come across. I am gutted by his loss. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Bankston appeared on 2013′s “Survivor: Blood Vs. Water,” the 27th edition of the revolutionary reality competition. The season featured ten returning players competing against ten of their loved ones. Bankston appeared alongside his fiancé and notorious “Survivor: One World” villain Colton Cumbie, who voluntarily withdrew from the season after seven stressful days on the island. The Alabama native was slated to marry Cumbie in October.

Following Cumbie’s self-imposed exit, Bankston continued to outwit, outplay and outlast his fellow “Survivor” competitors for several weeks, famously turning the tables on former ally and professional football player Brad Culpepper in one of the season’s most dramatic vote-outs. In the end, Bankston earned a respectable ninth-place finish, leaving the game on Day 30 of 39.

Bankston is the third “Survivor” player to have died since the show’s launch in 2001. “Survivor: Palau” contestant Jenn Lyon passed away in 2010 after a lengthy battle with breast cancer. Original “Survivor” player B.B. Andersen, the second contestant ever eliminated ...

Unity, prosperity, and sacrifice: The three key ingredients to living well within the system of Panem, the fictional country at the heart of “The Hunger Games.”

But not everyone wants to live up to those ideals. Over the course of the two “Hunger Games” movies released thus far, not to mention the upcoming two-part “Mockingjay” finale, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has resisted the Capitol’s call for obedience. Soon, all-out war will be the consequence of her defiance — and we can now see one of the first casualties of that war.

As the “Mockingjay” marketing campaign ramps up, Lionsgate has rolled out a haunting new video featuring President Snow (Donald Sutherland) speaking directly to the people of Panem about what makes their society so great, and what makes it so dangerous.

“Ours is an elegant system conceived to nourish and protect,” he says, “but if you resist the system, you starve yourself. If you fight against it, it is you who will bleed.”

To punctuate those points, President Snow is joined in the video by a familiar face: Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), the co-champion of the 74th annual Hunger Games — stoic, silent and stone-cold as he wordlessly stands by Snow during the speech. It’s a skin-crawling, bone-chilling look at the escalated stakes Katniss faces as this story rushes to its conclusion.

“Mockingjay — Part 1″ opens on November 21.

Josh Wigler