Transformers: Bumblebee Spin-Off Director Shortlist Will Surprise You

When Michael Bay started production on the latest Transformers film, he began gathering a group of talented Hollywood writers with the aim of establishing a wider universe.

While the new film is definitely a sequel, Bay and the writers wanted to expand the mythology in the films and create new opportunities for different stories. And with Transformers: The Last Knight set to hit theaters later this year, some of those plans are coming to fruition as spin-off movies begin the planning phase.

Yesterday news broke that stop-motion studio LAIKA’s honcho Travis Knight will direct the Bumblebee spin-off film, which is said to come right out of events from the Last Knight.

Knight (the person, not the movie) is riding the wave of success from his directorial debut, Kubo and the Two Strings. While live-action is a different beast than animation, the CG-heavy Transformers films lend themselves to a director with Knight’s experience.

But in the wake of yesterday’s announcement, Hollywood Reporter writer Borys Kit took to Twitter to reveal some of the other names in the running.

Rick Famuyiwa was considered to helm the project, who made the wonderful film Dope and walked away from DC’s The Flash.

Seth Gordon, behind Horrible Bosses and the upcoming Baywatch, was also considered, alongside The Shallows‘ Jaume Collet-Serra, and the brother team of Aaron and Adam Nee who were credited for their sole feature the Last Romantic over 10 years ago.

It’s a surprising collection of directors, almost as surprising as the choice they eventually landed on. Gordon is known for mostly comedic films, Famuyiwa’s name has floated around a few big budget productions already. Collet-Serra is usually makes horrors or intense thrillers. And the Nee Brothers have made one film to their credit. And Paramount gave the job to another guy with one film to his name, though Knight has been involved in every LAIKA film thus far.

We’re expecting to hear a lot more about Transformers: Bumblebee as production picks up. Transformers: the Last Knight, is hitting theaters June 23.

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More Transformers 5 News: 5 Facts To Know About Unicron / The Last Knight 5 Questions Raised / Internet Reacts To The Last Knight / The Last Knight Trailer Released

The Last Knight shatters the core myths of the Transformers franchise, and redefines what it means to be a hero. Humans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg); Bumblebee; an English Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins); and an Oxford Professor (Laura Haddock).

There comes a moment in everyone’s life when we are called upon to make a difference. In Transformers: The Last Knight, the hunted will become heroes. Heroes will become villains. Only one world will survive: theirs, or ours.

The cast of Transformers: The Last Knight features Mark Wahlberg (Planet of the Apes) as Cade Yeager, Isabela Moner (100 Things To Do Before High School) as Izabella, Josh Duhamel (Life as We Know It) as Lieutenant Colonel William Lennox, John Turturro (The Big Lebowski) as Seymour Simmons, and Tyrese Gibson (Furious 7) as Robert Epps, as well as Jerrod Carmichael (Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising), Anthony Hopkins (Thor: The Dark World). The voice cast includes Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime and John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane) as Hound.

[h/t] ScreenRant

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