Although it’s still unclear if Michael Bay will hold true to his word that Transformers: Age of Extinction will be the last Transformers movie he directs, this week we are getting our first solid info on what his next project behind the camera might be. Earlier this year, Paramount and Platinum Dunes set up an undersea adventure thriller that Bay was considering as a directing vehicle for himself. However, it now appears that he is more interested in taking on something a little more… political. Word on the street is that he is currently circling a political drama based on the 2012 terrorist attack on an American compound in Benghazi, Libya. Could Michael Bay be changing gears in his career and possibly even trying to pursue an Oscar?

According to THR, Michael Bay is currently in negotiations to direct 13 Hours, an adaptation of Mitchell Zuckoff’s book about the 2012 attack on the U.S. State Department Special Mission Compound in Libya. Chuck Hogan (The Town, The Strain) wrote the screenplay based on Zuckoff’s book, which focuses on six members of a security team that tried to defend the Americans stationed there. Erwin Stoff (Edge of Tomorrow, Unbroken) will produce for Paramount Pictures.

Although Michael Bay did direct Pearl Harbor back in 2001, he is generally not known for movies based on true stories so this would be something new for him. The budget would also be pretty low for him (in the $30 to $40 million range), so in that sense, it could be interesting. However, it’s also hard to imagine him directing something that doesn’t come across as completely insensitive and American-centric. Let’s face it, Paul Greengrass he ain’t. Still, we have seen action directors like Kathryn Bigelow make a similar transition in their careers, so perhaps there is hope for him. What do you think, are you interested in seeing Michael Bay direct a movie about a real-life terrorist attack or is this just a terrible idea?