It sounds like Optimus prime will soon be pulling double duty for the Transformers film franchise. Paramount’s film series based on the popular toys and cartoon franchise launched its first spinoff in 2018 with the release of Bumblebee. The film is set in the 1980s and featured Transformers that looked more like they did in the original cartoon, including Optimus Prime. Producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura confirmed that Paramount is working on plans for a sequel that will again feature Optimus Prime. He also confirmed that the main Transformers series will continue and will also feature the dynamic robot duo of Optimus Prime and Bumblebee.
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“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 opened in December and earned $459 million worldwide. The CEO of Viacom, Paramount’s parent company, called the film “solidly profitable.” Some fans who have been critical of past Transformers films appreciated Bumblebee‘s reverence for its origianl source material.
Bumblebee takes place in 1987, 20 years before the events of the first Transformers movie. Hailee Steinfeld stars as Charlie Watson, a teenage girl who discovers that her yellow Volkswagen Beetle is a giant alien robot. Bumblebee is voice by Dylan O’Brien.
Bumblebee is directed by Travis Knight, who is best known for Laika animated features Kubo and the Two Strings and Coraline. The film also stars John Cena, Pamela Adlon, Stephen Schneider, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Jason Drucker, Kenneth Choi, Ricardo Hoyos, Abby Quinn, and Grace Dzienny.
Paramount has been working on expanding its Transformers franchise. The studio convened a writers’ room to brainstorm ideas for the Transformers cinematic universe. There are rumors that a film called Transformers One is in development. The film would reveal the origins of the Autobots and Decepticons. There are also plans for crossovers with GI Joe and other Hasbro properties.
Are you excited about the future of the Transformers movie franchise? Let us know in the comments.
Bumblebee becomes available to own on Digital HD on March 19th. It releases on Blu-ray and DVD on April 2nd.
(h/t Heroic Hollywood)
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