Despite generally negative reviews, Paramount Pictures and Hasbro’s Transformers franchise has always managed to knock it out of the park when it comes to box office takings. That is until last year, with the fifth – and reportedly final – offering from director Michael Bay, Transformers: The Last Knight, grossing just $600 million, a series low which prompted the studio to plot a full reboot of the franchise.
Nevertheless, Paramount and director Travis Knight are set to unleash the series’ first spinoff this December with Bumblebee, which – judging by the first trailer – is set to present a vastly different incarnation of the beloved property, and one much more in tune with the classic 1980s cartoon.
The new film, set in the 80s, sees the fan favourite Autobot scout teaming with Hailee Steinfeld’s teenage mechanic Charlie – a pairing which producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura says was down to a suggestion from Transformers executive producer Steven Spielberg.
“We were headed down the Bumblebee path well before the release of the last Transformers,” said di Bonaventura. “We had felt that with the fifth movie, we had sort of run out of room with where to take it. Steven had always had an idea that a young girl and Bumblebee would be a great combination, so we headed in that direction.”
“When we were debating it, the idea of a young girl seemed to us to be a real change in our direction,” he continued. “I’m just amazed at how talented [Hailee] is. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an actor never miss a beat for the entire shoot. It was crazy. We ended up ahead of schedule because she was just so on it all the time. We could move quicker.”
SEE ALSO: Transformers spinoff Bumblebee gets a new featurette
On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug.
Bumblebee is directed by Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings), and stars Hailee Steinfeld (Edge of Seventeen), Pamela Adlon (Better Things), John Cena (Daddy’s Home 2), Stephen Schneider (Broad City), Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Jason Drucker (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul), Kenneth Choi (American Crime Story), Ricardo Hoyos (Degrassi: Next Class), Abby Quinn (Landline), Rachel Crow (Deidra & Laney Rob a Train), Grace Dzienny (Zoo) and John Ortiz (Kong: Skull Island). It is set for release on December 21st 2018.
