Model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley Confirmed for ‘Transformers 3’

It’s been a troubled few weeks for fans of the “Transformers” franchise, and especially for those for whom seeing Megan Fox in it was of dire importance. After the stunning actress confirmed that she would not be working with director Michael Bay for the third film, speculation began to pick up speed as to who might replace her. One name heavily circulated was that of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

The Victoria’s Secret model is no stranger to working with Bay, as the director teamed up with her for the Victoria’s Secret commercial that came out late last year. Since Fox left and until now, Rosie was believed to be the strongest contender for the part, though other names were being thrown around as well, like that of Hayden Panettiere and, of course, Heidi Montag. Confirmation comes now from Bay camp that Rosie is the one for “Transformers 3.”

“I would like for all you S4TE fans to welcome Rosie Huntington Whiteley to the world of Transformers. As some of you might know, she’s the new female lead in Transformers 3. She’s worked with Michael before in his Victoria’s Secret ‘A Thousand Fantasies’ ad,” a post on Michael Bay’s official website reads. As we also noted on a previous occasion, Whiteley has no acting credits yet but, for what is worth, she has a face and a body to kill for, which is presumably the reason why Bay chose her in the first place.

The same post on Bay’s website also includes an excerpt from the LA Times, offering details on the first shoot for the film in Los Angeles. “The DreamWorks / Paramount Pictures production has been shooting on a sound stage at the former Spruce Goose Howard Hughes hangar at Playa Vista and will film exterior shots throughout the L.A. area over the next several weeks, including Long Beach, West Hollywood, Century City and Malibu. The first two ‘Transformers’ movies were also shot heavily in Southern California, filming numerous scenes downtown and at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert,” the report reads.

Assuming everything goes according to schedule, “Transformers 3” will arrive in theaters in July 2011. On past occasions, Bay has promised fans a darker and, at the same time, more serious third film, with less explosions and more acting.