In a report over at Variety, Transformers 2 is one of the films mentioned as under threat from the possible writers union strikes which are expected to take place in Hollywood next year. When talking about Dreamworks, Variety report that "Not on the pre-strike list is "Transformers 2," a sequel that is still being written. Labor talks will determine whether the visual effects-heavy film makes its projected June 26, 2009, release date."

The article also includes a mention of the summer 2009 release of the live action G.I-Joe movie. "Paramount, pleased with revisions done by scribe Stuart Beattie, has officially set a Feb. 13 start date for G.I Joe an event-sized film that went from a pre-strike question mark to an anchor of the studio's summer 2009 release schedule. Paramount is in talks with up-and-comer Sam Worthington to star, and the studio was down to working out any scheduling overlap with Fox, which has Worthington starring in the James Cameron-directed Avatar".

The Hollywood reporter reports that screenwriter Ehren Kruger and the writing team of Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are currently in talks with Paramount Pictures / Dreamworks to write the screenplay for the second live action Transformers Movie. Director Michael Bay, star Shia LaBeouf and producers Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Don Murphy and executive producer Steven Spielberg are also reported to be back on board.

The report states that the teaming of -"A-listed writers to write such a huge project" is an industry first, and points to the fact that Kurtzman and Orci are busy writing the new Star Trek movie as one of the main reasons for the collaboration. The three writers are not strangers, as they are working together on the DreamWorks picture Nightlife.

Kruger met with Michael Bay and Hasbro president Brian Goldner, impressing both with his knowledge of the Transformers mythos.

In an article regarding the problems between Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks founders David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg, LA Times report that both Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay have both signed up for Transformers 2 which is currently scheduled for release in the summer of 2009.

You can read the original article here, credit to Nelson from ShootForTheEdit for the original report.

"Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Animation SKG each announced today that they will exclusively support the next-generation HD DVD format on a worldwide basis. The exclusive HD DVD commitment will include all movies distributed by Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Nickelodeon Movies and MTV Films, as well as movies from DreamWorks Animation, which are distributed exclusively by Paramount Home Entertainment.

The companies each said that the decision to distribute exclusively in the HD DVD format resulted from an extensive evaluation of current market offerings, which confirmed the clear benefits of HD DVD, particularly its market-ready technology and lower manufacturing costs. Paramount Home Entertainment will launch its exclusive HD DVD program with the release of the blockbuster comedy hit Blades of Glory on August 28th and follow with two of the biggest grossing movies of the year Transformers and Shrek the Third. These three titles alone represent more than $1.5 billion in box office ticket sales worldwide.

"The combination of Paramount and DreamWorks Animation brings a critical mass of current box office hits to consumers with a line-up of live action and animated films that are perfect for HD DVD," stated Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, which is currently the leading studio in domestic box office. "Part of our vision is to aggressively extend our movies beyond the theater, and deliver the quality and features that appeal to our audience. I believe HD DVD is not only the affordable high quality choice for consumers, but also the smart choice for Paramount."

"We decided to release 'Shrek the Third' and other DreamWorks Animation titles exclusively on HD DVD because we believe it is the best format to bring high quality home entertainment to a key segment of our audience -- families," stated DreamWorks Animation CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg. "We believe the combination of this year's low-priced HD DVD players and the commitment to release a significant number of hit titles in the fall makes HD DVD the best way to view movies at home."

The studios said, "With the rapid increase of HD TV screens in households, and audiences wanting to enjoy the total entertainment experience, HD DVD has emerged as the most affordable way for consumers to watch their movies in high definition. In addition to pristine quality, HD DVD also offers consumers the chance to personalize the movie-watching experience, to interact with their movies and even to connect with a community of other fans."

Paramount Home Entertainment will issue new releases day and date as well as catalog titles exclusively on HD DVD. Today's announcement does not include films directed by Steven Spielberg as his films are not exclusive to either format."