There aren't too many directors who can tell a major studio that they won't direct the next movie in a blockbuster franchise unless it's on their own terms. Michael Bay is one of those directors. So when Variety announced yesterday that Paramount had picked July 1, 2011 as the release date for Transformers 3, Bay went to his own website to say "Not so fast!" And I can guarantee you Paramount will listen.

In the forums at his site Shoot for the Edit, Bay wrote "I said I was taking off a year from Transformers. Paramount made a mistake in dating Transformers 3 - they asked me on the phone - I said yes to July 4 - but for 2012 - whoops! Not 2011!!!"

So when Bay says "whoops," I think he actually means "Those suckers better change the release date before I release some Bay-os on their asses." Hilariously, Bay's explanation for why he needs the break is pretty simple, and has nothing to do with pursuing other projects: "My brain needs a break from fighting robots."

Paramount will obviously fight to get Bay to stick to the release date, but I can't imagine them going forward without him. Something tells me Bay will get his way on this one, and it'll be three more years, not two, before we see more giant freakin' robots.