Michael Bay is taking Cadillac to court, accusing the automaker of firing him from its Super Bowl campaign and then using his creative vision without paying for it. The director, known for the Transformers franchise and his signature high-octane visual style, has filed a lawsuit seeking at least 1.5 million dollars in damages.

According to the complaint, Bay was approached by Cadillac F1 and its chief executive Dan Towriss to produce and direct a Super Bowl commercial. Bay says he delivered a detailed pitch built around sweeping desert vistas, kinetic camera moves, and stylized action imagery reminiscent of his blockbuster films. Those elements, he argues, became the backbone of the commercial that ultimately aired during the game.

Bay claims that after he shared his concepts and preliminary materials, Cadillac abruptly informed him the company was going in a different direction and would be working with another production team. The director alleges that this pivot was a pretext, and that Cadillac had already decided to appropriate his ideas while cutting him out of the lucrative Super Bowl job.

The lawsuit accuses Cadillac and its affiliates of breach of contract and fraud, asserting that Bay was misled into presenting proprietary creative work under the guise of a good-faith collaboration. In court filings, Bay’s camp characterizes the situation as an attempt to secure a Michael Bay style commercial at what it calls a bargain-basement price.

Cadillac has pushed back on the allegations, insisting that the creative direction for the Super Bowl spot was developed independently and before Bay’s involvement. The company maintains that Bay was only under consideration as a potential director and that it became clear he could not meet the production timeline required for the high-profile broadcast window.

The dispute highlights a recurring tension in the advertising and entertainment industries, where big-name directors are often courted for their distinctive visual signatures while agencies and brands retain tight control over budgets and ownership of ideas. Bay’s lawsuit effectively asks a court to draw a line between routine pitching and what he describes as the unauthorized exploitation of his creative concepts.

If the case proceeds, it could offer a rare public look inside the negotiations, treatments, and behind-the-scenes maneuvering that shape one of the most coveted stages in advertising: a Super Bowl commercial slot.