New Transformers Reboot Reportedly Based on Beast Wars Series

Monday afternoon, news broke suggesting Paramount had two separate Transformers movies in active development — one that would be set in the new universe set up by the acclaimed Bumblee spinoff and another to serve as a reboot to the main Transformers franchise. According to new reports from Deadline, the reboot is reportedly based upon Beast Wars, the computer-animated Transformers series that ran for three seasons in the late 90s.

Independence Day: Resurgence writer James Vanderbilt has been writing the Beast Wars movie since last April while John Wick - Chapter 3 - Parabellum executive producer Joby Harold is attached to the Bumblebee-adjacent movie. As it's still too early in the development process, neither project has a director attached.

Two years ago, we spoke with Transformers producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and at the time, he suggested he wanted nothing to do with a Beast Wars movie. "I'm probably not the one to be asking that question to," the producer said, "because I don't get Beast Wars, but you know, thankfully I'm not the only vote on it. I've never quite understood, they kind of feel like incompatible to me, you have animals, robots, we're used to cars."

Since then, Transformers: The Last Knight included the fan-favorite Dinobots, a potential segue into the world of Beast Wars. Last year, di Bonaventura confirmed two projects were in development and Optimus Prime would be included in both of them. According to the producer, they'd be direct sequels to Bumblee and Transformers: The Last Knight, which appears not to be the case now.

"We are already working on two projects and both have scripts under development," Di Bonaventura told Japanese outlet Cinema. "One is the latest in the main family series following the events of Transformers: The Last Knight and the other is a sequel to Bumblebee. So, we are thinking of films where Optimus Prime and Bumblebee will be the buddies, but when Optimus and Bumblebee are the movies of the protagonists … how human beings get involved in their drama In the first place, the size is different between human beings and their's …. It's a worrying point (laughs)."

Bumblebee is now available wherever movies are sold.

If Beast Wars comes to the silver screen, which characters do you hope to expect? Drop your top wants in the comments section!