Ehren Kruger Writing Transformers 4; LaBeouf is Out, Story Going Different Direction

Paramount has once again hired Ehren Kruger to fly solo on his writing duties for the Transformers 4 script, Paramount Film Group President Adam Goodman has confirmed.

Mr. Kruger co-wrote Transformers Revenge of the Fallen with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Star Trek) and took over full duties for Transformers Dark of the Moon.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Mr. Goodman has also confirmed that Shia LaBeouf will not return and "[t]he story is going in a different direction now."

This same line was taken in the press release that officially announced that Michael Bay would return to direct Transformers 4 back in February of this year.

Mr. Goodman seems to feel that the Transformers live-action franchise, if completely redeveloped, would go through Nickelodeon's movie unit, which will be releasing Mr. Bay's reimagined series Ninja Turtles.

Earlier this year, Mr. Bay got some flack for saying that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would be aliens instead.

In the interview, Mr. Goodman specifies that plans for Nickelodeon include releasing films that are family adventures and really hard-core family comedies.

"If I was starting again, I would have put Transformers through Nick," he told THR.