The following story contains MINOR SPOILERS of the upcoming "Transformers" motion picture.

In the upcoming live-action "Transformers" film, the famous race of robots who can become vehicles and weapons has existed on Earth for centuries, perhaps as far back as biblical times, according to Don Murphy, one of the film's producers.

In a compilation of online posts on Dark Horizons, he says they have been fighting a secret war with other Transformers.

Known for his candor and ease of sharing his feelings online, Murphy -- who is famous for his adaptation of Alan Moore's comics to the big screen -- also said that there may be more robots in the next film.

In the first draft of the film's script, there were four main Transformers on each side. But more recent information indicates that each group may expand to five robots.

The Autobots will consist of Optimus Prime, Jazz, Ratchet, Bumblebee and Arcee. Three of the Decepticons are known, and they are Megatron, Soundwave and Starscream, with two of the villains still to be announced.

The story will unfold in the southwest of the United States, much like the most recent Transformers animated series on Cartoon Network, and will be told from a human perspective.

Murphy said there are no plans for a second or third film, but that could change depending on the success of the first movie.

The script should be completed by July 1. Filming is expected to start in early December with Michael Bay directing and Steven Spielberg producing. The movie is scheduled for a theatrical release on Nov. 17, 2006.