Following the disappointing box office opening for Transformers: The Last Knight (outside of China, at least), Hasbro and Paramount Pictures will be looking to shake up the franchise next year with the release of the first Transformers spinoff movie, focussing on the fan favourite Autobot Bumblebee.
We’ve already heard that it will be “a very distinctive departure” from the Michael Bay-directed films, as well as taking place in 1984, the same year that the Transformers franchise launched. And now producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura has revealed to EW that the solo movie will also pay tribute to Generation 1 by having Bumblebee in his classic Volkswagen Beetle form, while he also offered up a few plot details:
“The interesting thing about doing a spin-off is it has to have some familiarity with the franchise, and then it has to have its own distinct qualities for it to stand on its own,” said di Bonaventura. “It’s the story of a 17-, 18-year-old girl who, through a series of events, she and Bumblebee find each other, and they make each other whole. Bumblebee’s a very loving character. He’s got a lot of heart, so of course the idyllic life of these two is interrupted by the evil Decepticons. And how are they going to be able to deal with the problem without Optimus and without everybody else?”
Transformers: Bumblebee is being directed by Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings) and will feature Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) as the female lead. It is set for release on June 22nd 2018.
Originally published June 26, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
