Cameron Helped Get Bay Back on Board for Third 'Transformers'

If a big 3D release rescues "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" from  its 2009 predecessor's abyssmal reviews, send a small "thank you" to James Cameron.

In an interview for The Hollywood Reporter, Cameron and "Transformers" director Michael Bay discussed the convincing it took not just to get Bay back on board for a third installment, but to shoot the thing in 3D. Bay had, as of June 2009, written 3D off. It was a "gimmick," he said. The technology didn't suit his style of quick, hard cuts and fast-paced action, he said.

Then Paramount Pictures sat Bay down with his idol, Cameron, whom he had met while Cameron was shooting "Titanic" and Bay was still a fresh face in Hollywood. Even after a tour of the set of Cameron's "Avatar," Bay still wasn't entirely convinced, but experimented and found a way to adapt the technology for this summer's $195-million "Transformers" sequel.

Have a look for yourself at a conversation between two cinematic titans of tech.