Back in 2015, Paramount Pictures and Hasbro assembled a writers room to plot out the future of Transformers franchise, reportedly coming up with as many as 14 ideas for new big screen adventures for the Robots in Disguise.
Well, the universally-negative reception to The Last Knight might have thrown a spanner in the works, with the studio reassessing its plans for the series going into Transformers 6, but it seems that at least two of the writers room projects remain on the table for the time being.
Speaking to Metro to promote the release of Bumblebee, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura confirmed that the previously-announced animated Cybertron movie is still in the works, while they’re also still keen on an Optimus Prime solo spinoff if they can crack the story.
“We actually have an animated movie in the works that will tell the whole Cybertron mythology,” said di Bonaventura. “The fans will love that. We’re trying to figure out an Optimus Prime solo movie. It will be hard with Optimus, he is always right, very stoic and is a man of few words … It is kind of like saying, ‘Lets do a movie about Obi-Wan Kenobi?’ But how much is there to say about Obi-Wan? It is not so easy.”
SEE ALSO: Bumblebee images showcase G1 Transformers designs from the Cybertron battle
Despite earning the best reviews of the franchise to date, the Bumblebee spinoff hasn’t quite set the box office on fire, debuting to just $21.7 million in the U.S. in its opening weekend (it’s currently on $65.4 million worldwide). And, while a new, Michael Bay-free instalment in the main series – one that’s “different” but not rebooted – appears to be the next step for the franchise, Paramount is yet to set any release dates for future Transformers movies.
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).
