Forget Fassbender and Farrell, as of tonight Hollywood has a new leading man representing Ireland, and he’s about to star in one of the biggest movie franchises of the past decade. 

Michael Bay, director of Transformers, took to his own website this evening to post the following message:

I just hired a great new actor for Transformers 4 to star against Mark Wahlberg. Jack Reynor, he is an Irish kid that came to America with 30 bucks in his pocket. Pretty ballsy. Seriously who does that? Anyway I spotted him in a great little Irish movie WHAT RICHARD DID. This kid is the real deal.

Transformers 4, is not a reboot. That word has been floating around on the net.

This movie takes place exactly 4 years after the war in Chicago. The story makes a very natural transition, and reason as to why we have a whole new cast. This Transformers will feel very different then the last three. We are embarking on a new trilogy.

Michael

 

Wicklow man Jack will take the second male lead in the movie, the fourth Transformers movie that Bay will direct. The rising star won the part after initially making a shortlist of five actors including Luke Grimes, (Brothers and Sisters), Landon Liboiron, (Terra Nova), Brenton Thwaites, (Blue Lagoon: The Awakening) and Hunter Parrish (Weeds).

Reynor won rave reviews last year for his role in Irish drama What Richard Did, which opens in UK cinemas this weekend.