Bumblebee Spinoff Is A Transformers Prequel

06/13/2017 06:22 pm EDT

Though Michael Bay might be finished directing films in the Transformers franchise, the Robots in Disguise are likely to stick around for a while longer.

Bay assembled a writers room to help flesh out the lore and mythology while putting together Transformers: The Last Knight with the hopes that they'd come up with enough ideas for a shared movie universe, much like Universal is doing with Dark Universe.

New details have been revealed about the next film in the series which will focus on the fan-favorite character known as Bumblebee.

Empire Magazine reports that the new film will be set in the 1980s, making it a prequel to the current series of films. It also states that the new film will focus on a different demographic, aligning it with the same target audience as those who buy the action figures.

The Bumblebee spinoff "will feature considerably fewer Transformers, concentrating on the big, yellow star (who in the movies so far can only talk via snippets of radio broadcasts) and likely pitching a little younger, tonally."

It makes sense that the movie, written by Christina Hodson, will be directed by LAIKA president and animator Travis Knight, who has experience helming films for younger audiences.

The film should give Bumblebee a clear focus as the character won't have to vie for screen time over other characters in the Transformers universe. But now we're thinking, is Paramount getting ready to pull a Star Wars move on the Transformers films?

Fan-favorite character Han Solo died in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but will be featured in the upcoming spinoff prequel. Will the next Transformers movie do something similar?

Transformers: The Last Knight premieres in theaters June 23.

Transformers: The Last Knight shatters the core myths of the Transformersfranchise, and redefines what it means to be a hero. Humans and Transformersare 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.

Mark Wahlberg and Stanley Tucci will reprise their roles from Transformers: Age of Extinction. Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and John Turturro reprise their roles for the first three Transformers movies. The film also stars Isabela Moner, Laura Haddock, Anthony Hopkins, Santiago Cabrera, Liam Garrigan, Jerrod Carmichael, and Mitch Pileggi.

Transformers: The Last Knight's voice cast includes Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, John Goodman as Hound, and John DiMaggio as Crosshairs. Other transformers appearing the film include Bumblebee, Drift, Hot Rod, Cogman, Canopy, Sqweeks, Grimlock, Megatron, Barricade, Onslaught, Hooligan, and Mohawk.

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