Transformers 5's Anthony Hopkins calls Michael Bay a "genius", compares him to Spielberg and Scorsese

Like any notable filmmaker, director Michael Bay has plenty of acolytes and detractors. But it seems he’s earned the fandom of one of today’s most legendary actors: Sir Anthony Hopkins, who stars in Bay’s upcoming Transformers: The Last Knight.

In an interview with Yahoo Movies, Hopkins refers to Bay as a “genius.” Yes, you read that correctly. “I thought, ‘This guy’s a genius, he really is,’” Hopkins said. “He’s the same ilk as Oliver Stone and Spielberg and Scorsese. They’re brilliant. Savants. I mean, he’s a savant.” Wow, that is incredibly high praise - especially coming from an actor who has worked with top shelf filmmakers like Ridley Scott, David Lynch, and Francis Ford Coppola.

Bay has been a divisive filmmaker ever since the beginning of his career. Some critics dismissed his flashy music video style, but others were quick to point out how he made a difficult task like blowing things up on screen look effortless. Personally, I prefer his smaller scale movies like Pain and Gain to things like Transformers; I appreciate when he’s not bogged down by franchise mythology and can get back to the slick, stylish storytelling for which he used to be known. (Haters: go back and watch Bay’s 1996 film The Rock, and try to tell me that movie isn’t great.)

When I first heard that Hopkins called him a genius, I’ll admit that my first reaction was to scoff. But the more I think about it, the more I realize how accurate it is. Bay may not be able to make the same kind of emotionally resonant movies as someone like Spielberg or Scorsese, but he’s undoubtedly a genius when it comes to organizing massive action on the biggest possible canvas.

Directed by Michael Bay and starring Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, Josh Duhamel, John Goodman, and more, Transformers: The Last Knight arrives in theaters on June 23, 2017. Watch the newest Transformers 5 trailer right here.

Images: Paramount