Transformers: Dark of the Moon (or simply Transformers 3) is a 2011 American science fiction action film based on the Transformers toy line. First released on June 23, 2011, it is the third installment of the live-action Transformers film series. It is a sequel to 2009's Revenge of the Fallen taking place three years after that. The film is also the first in the franchise without the involvement of DreamWorks, leaving the series to be produced solely by Paramount Pictures. Like its predecessors, Transformers and Revenge of the Fallen, Dark of the Moon is directed by Michael Bay and executive produced by Steven Spielberg. This was the last film in the series to be owned by Takara Tomy, as Hasbro assumed ownership of the Transformers films in Japan. This was also the last film in the series to involve the original human characters and last in the series to star Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, Jess Harnell, Hugo Weaving and Charlie Adler for the first three films. The film's story is set three years after the events of the 2009 film, with the Autobots, during their collaboration with the NEST (Nonbiological Extraterrestrial Species Treaty) military force, discovering a hidden alien technology in possession of humans, which had been found by Apollo 11 on the Moon 42 years earlier. However, the Decepticons unveil a plan to use the technology to enslave humanity in order to restore Cybertron, the home planet of the Transformers. Returning Transformers includes Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Ironhide, Ratchet, Sideswipe, Wheelie, Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, Barricade, Brawl, Scrapper, Long Haul, Sideways and The Doctor.