'Transformers 5': Mark Wahlberg Expects Director Michael Bay To Return

Mark Wahlberg said in a recent interview that he expects Michael Bay to direct “Transformers 5.” The actor and the director are currently busy in different locations, working on their respective projects.

Speaking to Collider about his next project, Wahlberg said that Akiva Goldsman and others are busy writing the script for "Transformers 5." The writing team also includes Robert Kirkman, Jeff Pinker, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway and Zak Penn.

When asked about whether or not Bay would return to direct, Wahlberg said he believed Bay would return depending on the “strength of the script.” But although Bay directed the four previous movies in the franchise, ScreenRant reported there has been no official confirmation by the studio or Bay about who will direct the fifth film.

Wahlberg said Bay is currently busy filming “13 Hours” in Malta. The movie is about a response by special forces to the death of a U.S ambassador in Libya. Wahlberg is in New Orleans filming “Deepwater Horizon,” based on the April 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The movie is slated to hit theaters Sept. 30, 2016, in the U.S.

Bay and Wahlberg are set to begin work on “Transformers 5” after the director returns from Malta, the actor said. The writers are expected to have the script ready by that time.

Bay reportedly said previously that he would “pass the baton” to a new director for “Transformers 5.” Bay will be staying on the project as an executive producer no matter who directs. The movie is slated to be released in 2017.