New Transformers Live-Action Movie to Release in 2022

The Transformers train is about to leave the station once more courtesy of Paramount Pictures, as the studio has revealed a release date for a new Transformers movie. The date for the next Transformers film is set for June 24th, 2022, though it remains to be seen what that film will ultimately be. There are two options to choose from that are currently in development at Paramount. The first is the recently revealed Transformers project that is themed after the animated series Beast Wars. The second is a follow-up to Paramount's hit Bumblebee film, though we aren't sure if this would be a direct sequel or just another film set in that universe. It seems one of them is pegged for 2022 though, so mark your calendars now (via Deadline).

The Beast Wars film is currently being written by James Vanderbilt and takes its cues from the computer-animated show from the 90s in which the Transformers aren't based on vehicles and planes but animals. That paved the way for characters like Optimus Primal (based on a Gorilla), Rhinox (based on a Rhino), and more, and we cannot wait to see those characters hit the big screen with today's technology and budget.

The second project in development is from John Wick Chapter 3 Executive Producer Joby Harold. That project is set in Bumblebee's relaunched Transformers universe. Bumblebee was a critical and commercial hit for Paramount, and effectively set a new foundation for the franchise that was much closer to what fans were hoping for from the original Transformers movies.

The Transformers franchise has seen its share of ups and downs. At one point the franchise was bringing in over a billion at the box office with each entry, hitting a high with Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon, which brought in $352 million domestically and over $1.1 billion worldwide.

Unfortunately, the next installment, The Last Knight, ended up disappointing at the box office, as it only hit $130 million domestically and only $605 million worldwide. That's a far cry from the billion number of the last one, and as a result, Paramount changed course a bit with their next film.

That would be the critically adored Bumblebee, which pretty much reset everything in the movie universe and delivered designs much closer to what fans of the franchise always wanted. While it didn't bring in as much as The Last Knight with its $467 million, the positive word of mouth got people talking about Transformers in a positive way once more, and it was still more profitable for Paramount than Last Knight.

So, are you excited for Transformers movies again? Let me know in the comments or let me know on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!