We've received the latest update from Allspark sponsor BigBadToyStore!  Check out the Transformers related items below or click on the "read more" link for the full newsletter.

New Preorders

MP-05 MEGATRON RETURNS: Takara has just announced a surprise reissue of the immensely popular MP-05 Megatron. Preorders have been opened at $99.99 and the figure should be arriving in December or possibly January. These will all include our custom-engineered orange safety tip for legal importing. We have to place our orders in Japan within a week, so the earlier all who are interested can order, the better prepared we can be for getting enough for everyone.

TRANSFORMERS MOVIE - NIGHTWATCH OPTIMUS PRIME: Hasbro has recolored the awesome Leader Class prime with a cool blue & gray color scheme.  Nightwatch Prime is up for preorder at $49.99 and should be arriving in December.

TRANSFORMER MOVIE DELUXE FIGURES: Two new assortments are coming out this winter - Hasbro has packed them full of new figures and the only old figure included is the highly sought after 2008 Camaro Bumblebee! New figures include Landmine, Cliffjumper, Camshaft, and Stockade, the 2008 Bumblebee preorder has also been reopened - all preorders are $12.99 to $14.99, and cases of 8 are up for $94.99 - there are some great assortments so take a look here.

New Arrivals

IPOD CONVOY - TF MUSIC LABEL: In stock now for $144.99 - this cool all-white Convoy is a functional iPod docking bay with speakers and an AC power adapter cord. The dimensions of the figure are basically the same as the G1 prime.

Returning to write the upcoming Transformers Sequel, due out in 2009, are writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.  They are in talks of teaming up with screenwriter Ehren Kruger, who is working together currently with the 2007 Transformers film writers on DreamWorks Nightlife.  Kruger is best known for writing the Ring movies and Reindeer Games among other films.

Also returning for Tranformers 2 are director Michael Bay, star Shia LeBeouf, and producers Tom DeSanto, Don Murphy, and Lorenzo di Bonaventura. 

In regards to choosing Ehren Kruger for writing duties on the Transformers Sequel, Michael Bay and Hasbro president Brian Goldner were impressed with Kruger's knowledge of Transformers mythology.

Hollywood Movie Awards has nominated ten movies, of which one be declared "Movie of the Year" at a gala ceremony on October 22nd. One of the movies nominated was Transformers: The Movie. So how can you help get "Transformers" that award? Click here and cast your vote! You can also vote for Best Male and Best Female Star of the Year.

Make those votes count!

Hostess is running a sweepstakes in honor of the Transformers: The Movie release on DVD. Specially marked packages of Hostess snacks will give you a code. Enter this code on the Hostess website and you can win a plasma TV, a portable DVD player (one of fifteen) or a "Transformers" DVD (one of forty-five).

To enter a code, read more about the sweepstakes or play a Transformers themed memory game, click here. 

A poster over at TFW2005 has received an email responding to questions about the upcoming Baroness and Ravage statue from First4Figures. The company still plans on releasing the statue, but due to lack of retailer support,it will be delayed until first quarter 2008. First4Figures also plans on slightly re-sculpting the statue to make it appear as though Ravage is pulling harder against the chain.

You can see the original report here. 

Tformers is reporting that the repackaged Ultimate Bumblebee with included 3" Titaniums Bumblebee has been sighted. This Costco exclusive first surfaced in an eBay auction a few weeks ago, but now it's appeared in a California Costco store with a reported price tag of $69.99. So the next time you're buying 144 jars of peanut butter and a case of vanilla extract, don't forget to check the toy aisle!

Visit Tformers for the sighting report, and discuss in Nevermore's thread.  

The last announced Transformers: The Movie T.E.C.H. toy has hit retail stores, according to several reports. Just like the rest of the "Transformers Electronic Combat Hardware" line, Autofire is an everyday gadget that converts into a kid-size deadly weapon. Though in his particular case, certain Florida lawyers might argue that his video game controller mode is far deadlier than the laser gun he changes into. 

The first sighting was reported at TFW2005. Discuss the toy in Nevermore's thread, and don't forget to post your sightings here!

It's been assumed for a while now that U.S. Best Buy stores would have some kind of exclusive gift set released with the Transformers: The Movie DVD. The Best Buy Canada web site has had a listing for a set with an "exclusive book and action figure" for a few weeks. Today, a listing has finally appeared on the U.S. Best Buy site, but it looks a bit... different.

Instead of showing the Canadian box set, the listing's thumbnail image (actual size, at left) is of the normal 2-disc DVD case, and two Robot Heroes toys. One is clearly Bumblebee repainted as Cliffjumper, and the other is Optimus Prime, but the thumbnail is too small to make out any details. Strangely, the set is listed with a November 4 release date, two weeks after the regular release. Hopefully the newspaper ads will clear all this up soon. Thanks to Tformers for the news.

Additionally, Seibertron reports that any Best Buy Transformers DVD pre-order with a deposit of $5 nets you an exclusive Transformers lithograph, and they've got pictures to prove it.

Visual Effects Supervisor Scott Farrar spoke with Sci-Fi Wire about the upcoming sequel to Transformers: The Movie, and promised the follow-up would "improve" on the original in terms of visual effects. Some choice quotes:

"I think what we're going to do is get faster and know our problems sooner and quicker. And then, of course, I know Michael's always thinking about new, crazy actions. And we're open to that... It was difficult and, I think, laborious, and I think we learned a lot by the end."

He also had this to say about the dramatic potential for the sequel, and its recently announced June 2009 scheduled release date:

"I think the commitment is not to just chuck out a sequel. The commitment is—and this makes us really happy here—that it's a deep story. There are lots of layers to the story of all these Decepticons, everybody. And so they want to really keep the characters rich."

Check out the full interview on Sci-Fi Wire.