Transformers 2
Photo: Paramount Pictures

BEVERLY HILLS, California — Two years ago, Michael Bay's "Transformers" shape-shifted itself into the biggest hit of the year. Later this month, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" will try to keep the streak alive by living up to its predecessor.

Now, the people behind the popular franchise are talking trilogy.

"We enjoy making these movies. It's just like going to adrenaline-rush camp," grinned Shia LaBeouf, who stars in the series as Sam Witwicky. "It's a lot of fun to make."

"This [franchise] opened all of the doors that it did and gave me a lot of undeserved success," said Megan Fox, a breakout star from the first film. "I'm really happy to have been a part of these films, obviously, and if they wanted me to come back for a third one, I would.

"I owe them," she laughed. "I owe them my career, really."

So with a 2012 release date already hanging over their heads, the next question is a simple one: What would "Transformers 3" be about?

"I'd like to see some version of Galvatron," said Roberto Orci, who wrote the first two films with his partner Alex Kurtzman. "I would like to see Unicron, too, and really anything that ends in the word 'ron.' "

"Dinobots!" Orci added. "I think, eventually, the Dinobots are going to have to happen."

Although some fans remember the dinosaur-shaped Transformers as being a bit cheesy, Orci doesn't see it as an obstacle. "I didn't say it was going to be my problem [to overcome as a writer]," he laughed. "But as a fan, I would like to see some Dinobots."

Speaking of which, Kurtzman and Orci — who recently launched another blockbuster franchise with "Star Trek" — aren't completely sure they'll be returning for "Transformers 3." "It's totally possible that, just for the benefit of 'Transformers' to stay cool and awesome, we should have to let new people come in and do it," Kurtzman said.

"We don't like to say yes ... until we're actually going to have a worthy thing to represent," Orci agreed.

And with that comes another obstacle to "Transformers 3" even bigger than the 46-foot Devastator: time. Michael Bay recently revealed to us that he's going to take a "Transformers" vacation and film a "small movie" instead. Plus, stars like LaBeouf and Fox are hot Hollywood commodities with equally jam-packed schedules.

"I don't think [we'll make 'Transformers 3'] right away, but I wouldn't kill it either," LaBeouf explained, saying that just like Michael Bay, all the stars need a break from the giant robot franchise. "I don't think we're going to do one anytime soon. I think we all need a break from each other and a break from the project.

"We just need to collect ourselves and come back to it," he added. "They're hard to make, man."