Jason Statham Vaguely Addresses TRANSFORMERS Casting Rumors

A recent report regarding Paramount Pictures' billion dollar film franchise stated that the Transporter star was being pursued for the lead role, but when asked to comment on it he did not divulge much.

Transformers: The Dark of the Moon, the third film in the Transformers franchise which starred Shia LaBeouf, John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was released in theaters on July 1st, 2011 and has since passed the $1 billion gross mark. Now, further word has surfaced on plans to continue the enterprise while also saving in production costs. Recently is was reported that toymaker Hasbro and filmmakers Paramount, Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg may put the fourth and fifth films of the franchise into production back-to-back. Screenwriter Ehren Kruger is said to have ideas for the projects, but nothing has yet to be set in stone.

It was also stated that Transporter and Expendables star Jason Statham is being looked at to replace Shia LaBeouf in the next film(s), though no official offer has been made to him yet. MTV News caught up with Statham and attempted to confirm the validity of these internet rumblings; unfortunately, he remained ambiguous:

"You know, I don't know how those things start. You read them. Someone told me about it. [But] the internet is a dangerous place. There's a lot of stuff out there.

"I've got a lot of stuff in front of me, but Michael Bay is a talented man. This last one just made a billion dollars around the world, so people like his films. He's a talented man."

Statham has also recently been rumored to take on a role in the next Fast and the Furious film. Transformers: The Dark of the Moon will hit DVD & Blu-ray home release later this year from Paramount Home Entertainment.