Travis Knight to direct the Transformers Bumblebee Spinoff Movie

[TigerClaw]

The 1st Transformers Spinoff movie for Bumblebee just got its director, The spinoff movie will be directed by Travis Knight, He made his directing debut with Kubo And The Two Strings, so this will be his live action movie directing debut.
https://deadline.com/2017/03/bumblebee-movie-travis-knight-director-kubo-and-the-two-strings-1202034882/

Kubo And The Two Strings was very well received, so maybe the movie will turn out good under his direction.

[TigerClaw]

There's some details about the Bumblebee spinoff movie from producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura
https://www.comicbookmovie.com/transformers/transformers-the-last-knight-producer-lorenzo-di-bonaventura-on-what-to-expect-from-the-bumblebee-movie-a152297

While doing the press rounds for The Last Knight , series producer, Lorenzo di Bonaventura spoke with Collider about what to expect from the movie. "The objective of that movie is to develop more time with less robots, and to go back to 1985 and to go back to the original heritage, if you would, of the Transformers, G1. So, it has a very distinct idea in it, and whatever is going to happen with the chemistry is what's going to happen. But it really is a young female lead opposite of Bumblebee, and I think that Optimus is going to be jealous that Bumblebee has his own movie," said di Bonaventura.

During the set visit for Transformers: The Last Knight, it was revealed that Bumblebee may be the only robot in his solo movie. While being pressed on that di Bonaventura stops just short of confirming this info. "There are less Transformers, dramatically less," He said. "We hired, purposely, Travis Knight who's a very distinct filmmaker. You can't compete with Michael [Bay], you're going to loose. Also, the audience want's something different all the time, let's keep them interested. So, they're going to get a very emotional, complex story. A very tight story, in terms of its location, in terms of its storytelling. In fact it reminds me a little bit of The Iron Giant when I did that movie at Warner Brothers. It just reminds me a little bit of that, where that it feels contained, but it doesn't feel small."

[DestronMirage22]

Bullsh*t it'll be like G1...
These poor excuse for Transformers films will never be like G1.

[Allio]

So the movie bumblebee gets his voice destroyed?

[ZariusTwo]

John Cena cast in a lead role

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/john-cena-joins-transformers-spinoff-bumblebee-1025411

[TigerClaw]

Also the movie is scheduled to be released on Dec 21st 2018, that is the same release date for the Aquaman movie, I wonder which studio will budge and move the release date?

[snake]

John Cena cast in a lead role

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/john-cena-joins-transformers-spinoff-bumblebee-1025411

Kino confirmed.

[TigerClaw]

Here's the synopsis

"On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug."

[ZariusTwo]

WB and DC Comics are being sued by Hasbro over the merchandising of their own Bumblebee superhero character

http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/bumblebee-trademark-transformers-dc-comics-warner-bros-1202541577/

[Autbot_Benz]

WB and DC Comics are being sued by Hasbro over the merchandising of their own Bumblebee superhero character

http://variety.com/2017/biz/news/bumblebee-trademark-transformers-dc-comics-warner-bros-1202541577/

ya DC's Bumblebee debuted in the comics in 1976. I don't think hasbro is gonna win. one is a talking robot the other is an African American girl who can shrink

[ZariusTwo]

ya DC's Bumblebee debuted in the comics in 1976. I don't think hasbro is gonna win. one is a talking robot the other is an African American girl who can shrink

I was wondering if Marvel could have a horse in this race too, as Bob Budiasnky christened Bumblebee when working on the G1 comic

[sdp]

I don't think Hasbro will win either but they actually have a case, they've been selling "block" Bumblebee products for a long time and now DC wants to sell "block" Bumblebee products. It's not about the character in general and trademark works a little bit different.

DC's bumblebee is not an interesting character though and she was just added to the line for diversity which is fine, I rather have that than make Batgirl black. I do like Wasp who basically has the same powers though, I guess she's just written a bit different. Worst case scenario DC just won't be able to sell lego Bumblebee sets as a featured character.

[TigerClaw]

So the title of the Transformers Bumblee movie has been revealed, it will be titled Bumblebee: The Movie, also check out the Logo for it.
https://www.comicbookmovie.com/transformers/bumblebee-the-movie-logo-and-title-treatment-revealed-at-the-transformers-spin-offs-wrap-party-a155208

http://news.tfw2005.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/Bumblebee-The-Movie-001.jpg

[TigerClaw]

Here's a new still from the Bumblebee movie, plus the official synopsis.

http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/bumblebee-hailee-steinfeld-hi-res.jpg
Synopsis

On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug

[Coola Yagami]

Here's a new still from the Bumblebee movie, plus the official synopsis.

http://cdn.collider.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/bumblebee-hailee-steinfeld-hi-res.jpg
Synopsis

On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug

So..... Transformers 1 all over again?

[Vicky82]

Trailer up

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It doesn't appeal to me at all.

[TurtleTitan97]

I kinda dig the Bumblebee and Starscream redesigns.

[Andrew NDB]

Is this a new subgenre of... pre-reboot? As in... we've abandoned the terrible core series and we're planning an eventual reboot, but let's see if this side thing sticks? Because this certainly won't align with Transformers 1. Not that Transformers 2 even cared about the whole character arc of Bumblebee in the voice department. Or 3. Or I suspect 4, or 5 (haven't seen either).

[Powder]

I've never watched any of the Transformers movies (zero interest) but I would Redbox this, looks endearing.

[AT-Man]

Lol, looks way better already than all the previous Transformers movies.

[Candy Kappa]

That was a really cute trailer, Bumblebee's design is a huge step-up while still being within the Bayformers aesthetic.

[TigerClaw]

The trailer looks good. Looks like the movie will have a lot of heart to it. I'm curious why we haven't heard about this girl in the previous movies. So hopefully this will answer that question.

Perhaps the movie is told in flashbacks. Maybe the movie starts in present day. He sees the girl he knew but being a lot older. and he starts remembering the past?

[ZariusTwo]

Looks alright.

The brief Rickroll at the end was eye-rollingly funny:lol:

[PApagreg]

I'm kinda torn on this one, on one hand I do like the fact that Bumble Bee and Starscream have better designs compared to Bay's previous iteration(love the bee like eyes on Bumblebee and Starscream actually has some color to him) and I like how its a lot more smaller scale feel to it. However it does feel a bit repetitious that we are going to have to go through the whole "Kid befriends a monster and now the military is going after them" its kinda getting old for me.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

The trailer looks good. Looks like the movie will have a lot of heart to it. I'm curious why we haven't heard about this girl in the previous movies. So hopefully this will answer that question.

Perhaps the movie is told in flashbacks. Maybe the movie starts in present day. He sees the girl he knew but being a lot older. and he starts remembering the past?

I doubt they care at this point.:tlol:

This one actually looks interesting compared to Bay's films. Kinda puzzling that they're not making this the first film of their announced reboot film series.

[TigerClaw]

I doubt they care at this point.:tlol:

This one actually looks interesting compared to Bay's films. Kinda puzzling that they're not making this the first film of their announced reboot film series.
Given the 80s setting. And the new designs. I could see them rebooting Transformers this way. and and setting them up with a crossover like GI Joe.

[M.O.D.O.K.]

This is the first time I've shown any interest in a Transformers movie, and a while in anything of the franchise since Animated. If this movie does well, I hope it encourages more people to check out his Laika work.

[sdp]

Call me when they make a Beast Wars movie.

The trailer looks good. Looks like the movie will have a lot of heart to it. I'm curious why we haven't heard about this girl in the previous movies. So hopefully this will answer that question.

Perhaps the movie is told in flashbacks. Maybe the movie starts in present day. He sees the girl he knew but being a lot older. and he starts remembering the past?

It's meant to be a a soft-reboot of sorts it seems. Close enough to the Bayformers look but enough different to be able to separate it from it. I'm guessing Hasbro is testing the waters for their Hasbro-verse movieverse, if this is a hit and is positively reviewed it will be totally separated from the Bayformers films and re-start the Transformers film franchise and begin the Hasbroverse. If the film doesn't do well and is badly reviewed we'll get a proper Transformers reboot eventually and they'll kind of package this movie with the rest of the Bayformers movies despite any continuity errors.

I'm not a transformers fan but I enjoyed the first movie. This movie looks to me exactly the same as all the other trailers for the other movies but then again I'm not a fan maybe I'm not able to appreciate the differences. I just don't want Power Rangers to become a part of the transformers universe, ugh which if Hasbro makes their movie verse it's going to happen, its the only property they have that is as big as Transformers.

[Autbot_Benz]

DiscussingFilm @ SDCC
‏ @DiscussingFilm

Bltizswing has been announced for #Bumblebee and was infact the jet seen in the trailer, his design will be based on the first generation of Transformers. #SDCC #SDCC2018

[TurtleTitan97]

Wait, so that wasn't Starscream in the trailer???

That bites!

[Autbot_Benz]

Wait, so that wasn't Starscream in the trailer???

That bites!

nope Travis Knight has said Starscream is not in the movie

[Sumac]

DiscussingFilm @ SDCC
‏ @DiscussingFilm

Bltizswing has been announced for #Bumblebee and was infact the jet seen in the trailer, his design will be based on the first generation of Transformers. #SDCC #SDCC2018
Blitzwing....a name from long ago.
One of the few bootleg Transformers toy I have. It's actually pretty good, if it was not for the tight joints, which make him really hard to transform without breaking.

[TigerClaw]

I heard the footage they showed. Shows a G1 Optimus Prime. But as a Hologram.

[Sumac]

So, how this is related to Transformers movies?
Is that spin-off, reboot or all of the above?

Sorry for being slowpoke, just wasn't in tune with all this bayformers stuff.

[TigerClaw]

So, how this is related to Transformers movies?
Is that spin-off, reboot or all of the above?

Sorry for being slowpoke, just wasn't in tune with all this bayformers stuff.
Its a prequel.

[Autbot_Benz]

9_senXjnzXk

[ZariusTwo]

Its a prequel.

Prequel: Soft Reboot In Disguise

[TigerClaw]

Prequel: Soft Reboot In Disguise
In which they can work from since they are rebooting the whole franchise.

[AT-Man]

I hope they do reboot the franchise, because the new trailer had me convinced this will be better than any of the previous movies.

[ZariusTwo]

CAkwmvZuxME

[RaphaelinSTL]

Personally, I'm more interested in this than Aquabro and I hope that this ends up doing pretty good business over DC ... but I guess we'll see how it plays out.

[Autbot_Benz]

Everyone who has gone to these early screenings are saying this is the best live action transformers movie to date.

[ZariusTwo]

Here's one such review

r2Hrro5Cowg

[TigerClaw]

Live stream from the World Premiere.

x0JeFXBXL4M

[ZariusTwo]

Just got back from Bumblebee. Very entertained, it's a breezy heartfelt story, the G1 nods don't dominate the entire film, and those first few minutes on Cybetron are great. Cena's acting is kind of atrocious but in a fun way, the playlist weirded me out a bit because I've used some of the same songs in music videos lately. Maybe God has my playlist or something.

About the only negatives I would give it is the plot progression completely depends on Bumblebee being dumb enough to explore/wreck the house, as the jolt he gets from the appliances sparks off an energon jolt that lures Cena and the triple changers to the neighbourhood. The other is when the girl's step-dad creates a distraction with his own car. It's very much a kids flick so the resulting traffic skirmish ends with noone being killed and all the cars narrowly avoid hitting each other, this is followed by the only real bit of bathroom humour as the little brother throws up

Thee's not that much of a body count in it, the two Decepticons, Cliffjumper, a redneck, and the military Professor. The humans are liquidated by the Decepticon weapons . Cliffjumper is skewered in half.

[RaphaelinSTL]

Didn't have any free time to see it this weekend, but hoping to catch it next weekend to give it a little more legs box office wise. Glad to see reports that are saying it may continue to do well over the next few weeks.

[Andrew NDB]

Do we get anything about why the main character wouldn't still be the main character in, say, any of the main Transformers movies?

[Leo656]

Based on what I was reading about it, the ending generally reboots the whole thing. Everything strongly contradicts what was explained in the original movies, without much explanation that could link them.

Apparently all the Cybertron stuff is completely different, and no mention whatsoever of the All Spark. And everyone has G1-inspired designs instead of the Bay ones. And the story about When and Why the Autobots came to Earth is completely different than what the earlier movies explained.

I'm guessing it's just a brand new continuity going forward. Which is a good idea, and one that could've gotten me excited.

However, this new Transformers/G.I. Joe/M.A.S.K. (really? :lol:) shared universe is supposedly going to revolve around John Cena's character, so... yeah, I'm out. :ohwell: I don't watch that joker for free, ain't no way I'm paying to watch him.

Too bad. Could'a had me. Ah well.

[ranger_scout]

Honestly, why couldn't Paramount have gotten the team for Bumblebee to do the Transformers films from the start? This was actually a very good film. The script was well-written; I liked the human characters; and the backstory of Bumblebee was interesting. I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep if I never saw the second through fifth movies again, but I would gladly go back and see this in theaters if I find the time.

[Leo656]

Honestly, why couldn't Paramount have gotten the team for Bumblebee to do the Transformers films from the start?

Well, I can't speak to that directly, but I do have quite a few entertainment magazines from back then in which everyone states the general consensus that Bay was, supposedly, the only one who could possibly do the concept any justice, given his special effects-heavy films and action movie experience. Any concerns about plot or characters was dismissed with the notion that "It's just a silly toy movie anyway, all the Big Action will surely compensate for any shortcomings in the script."

If only we knew. :lol: But yeah, short answer being "Back then everybody really wanted Bay to do it, except the hardcore toy fans, who nobody listens to because they're nerds."

[Andrew NDB]

I'm guessing it's just a brand new continuity going forward. Which is a good idea, and one that could've gotten me excited.

We already know that's not the case (https://comicbook.com/movies/2018/12/19/bumblebee-deleted-megatron-decepticon-scene/).

However, this new Transformers/G.I. Joe/M.A.S.K. (really? :lol:) shared universe is supposedly going to revolve around John Cena's character

Is this for real? So what, they're going to keep all subsequent Transformers/GI Joe/MASK movies in the 80s? Because if they return to "now" then Cena would need to play 40 years older.

[Leo656]

I don't think anyone working on these is gonna pay the same kind of attention as you or I. :lol: They might try and keep things "loosely" connected to the originals but I doubt they'll ever be directly referenced again.

As far as Cena's character's age, nobody cared how badly MacAvoy's Professor X screwed up that series's timeline, by appearing the exact same age decades apart, so I doubt anyone will care here, either. Give Cena a pair of glasses in the "present day" films, and he's magically decades older! Easy. :lol:

I mean, I don't KNOW they're gonna revolve everything around him, but that was the rumor as of a few days ago, that he's gonna be the main cog in this big government agency that runs through the TF/G.I. Joe/M.A.S.K. universe, like Nick Fury I guess. There's strong evidence to that, such as, him saying he's definitely going to be too busy with movies to ever wrestle full-time again, the fact that this movie's getting good buzz, and that he's one of the things people are praising the most.

He's insanely popular, so putting aside the fact that I can't sand the guy, if I were running this ship I'd put him front-and-center, too.

[sdp]

However, this new Transformers/G.I. Joe/M.A.S.K. (really? :lol:) shared universe is supposedly going to revolve around John Cena's character, so...

It won't revolve around Cena, only future Bumblebee/transformers movies if this spin-off does well.

I doubt M.A.S.K. will ever come out unless their cinematic universe actually gets set up. GI Joe will likely have another chance to shine but most importantly the biggest piece after Transformers they'll use to build their shared universe will be Power Rangers.

We already know that's not the case (https://comicbook.com/movies/2018/12/19/bumblebee-deleted-megatron-decepticon-scene/).


Is this for real? So what, they're going to keep all subsequent Transformers/GI Joe/MASK movies in the 80s? Because if they return to "now" then Cena would need to play 40 years older.

They're playing it loose in continuity so it can be a reboot but at the same time a prequel depending on how the film does. If it bombs then some of those changes are retcons if it does well then it's a reboot. Similar to Hulk/The Incredible Hulk, it had contradictions but it worked as a loose sequel but once the MCU was established of course it was never in continuity. They're likely deciding themselves right now on how they want to approach it (https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2018/12/24/bumblebee-box-office-is-transformers-prequel-batman-begins-or-x-men-first-class/#202aa41e22b6)

[TigerClaw]

It won't revolve around Cena, only future Bumblebee/transformers movies if this spin-off does well.

I doubt M.A.S.K. will ever come out unless their cinematic universe actually gets set up. GI Joe will likely have another chance to shine but most importantly the biggest piece after Transformers they'll use to build their shared universe will be Power Rangers.



They're playing it loose in continuity so it can be a reboot but at the same time a prequel depending on how the film does. If it bombs then some of those changes are retcons if it does well then it's a reboot. Similar to Hulk/The Incredible Hulk, it had contradictions but it worked as a loose sequel but once the MCU was established of course it was never in continuity. They're likely deciding themselves right now on how they want to approach it (https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2018/12/24/bumblebee-box-office-is-transformers-prequel-batman-begins-or-x-men-first-class/#202aa41e22b6)
Well they are planning on rebooting Transformers after Bumblebee. And it managed to make the Top 3 at the box office placing 3rd. I don't know how the studio would see these results. But whatever the case. The whole Transformers franchise is up for a reboot.

Bumblebee could have placed 1st if it wasn't going up against Mary Poppins Returns and Aquaman. This weeks releases was crowded.

[ZariusTwo]

Bumblebee so far has taken $21 million, making it one of the weaker openings in the history of the TF movie franchise.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2018/12/23/box-office-bumblebee-transformers-hailee-steinfeld-jennifer-lopez-marwen/#6c385ef32dbe

[TigerClaw]

Bumblebee so far has taken $21 million, making it one of the weaker openings in the history of the TF movie franchise.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2018/12/23/box-office-bumblebee-transformers-hailee-steinfeld-jennifer-lopez-marwen/#6c385ef32dbe
That movie could've done better. If it didn't open at the same time with Aquaman and Mary Poppins. Its a risky move.

[Andrew NDB]

Yeah, yikes. It may have had half the budget of the last Transformers movie... but it also opened at literally half of the box office.

[sdp]

If they really wanted a reboot the Gen1 aesthetics were not going to be enough, they needed to give people time to breath, they could've still released movies and make money off the franchise but doing something entirely different with Beast Wars, it's what they did in the 90s to revitalize the franchise and it worked.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/516X353GNJL._SY445_.jpg

[Andrew NDB]

If they really wanted a reboot

But they didn't. And given it's simultaneous pre-production next to The Last Knight, they didn't even know The Last Knight was going to be a flop yet.

If Bumblee bombs, following The Last Knight's bombing, though... that might be all she wrote for Transformers movies for a good while.

[AquaParade]

I'm glad most people enjoyed this so much. I found it disappointing, overall.
It definitely feels less "slimy" than the previous Transformers, if that makes sense. It actually feels like a genuine, humanized film, but I still found the script to be pretty weak.

Hailee Steinfeld sure is charming though. I thought she did a great job with the script she was given. Generally, all the characters are likeable.

So I'd definitely say this film has its merits, but it didn't *speak* to me. I found myself wishing I had seen Spider-Verse again, about 20 minutes in, and that feeling never went away.

[drgon78]

Saw it not too long ago, easily the best live action Transformers movie.

[Andrew NDB]

Yeah, seems like this is the end of Transformers movies.

102 million production budget, 50 million marketing budget. Week 1 is wrapped and it only did 34 million here and 31 million overseas. It will drop about 50% next weekend's close, probably more.

Net-wise, Bumblebee is only sitting about 30 million... against a cost of 152 million. It's 122 million in the hole, right now, and will easily flatline around 70-80 million in the hole, optimistically.

[Sumac]

Yeah, seems like this is the end of Transformers movies.
I am surprised it had lasted as long as it did, considering the "quality" of the movies.

[AquaParade]

Yeah, seems like this is the end of Transformers movies.

102 million production budget, 50 million marketing budget. Week 1 is wrapped and it only did 34 million here and 31 million overseas. It will drop about 50% next weekend's close, probably more.

Net-wise, Bumblebee is only sitting about 30 million... against a cost of 152 million. It's 122 million in the hole, right now, and will easily flatline around 70-80 million in the hole, optimistically.

Those are definitely the strongest notes that immediately jump out, but the studio will also have to consider a few other things:

- How crowded this week is for blockbusters. It's the talk of the movie-world right now for good reason. Mary Poppins, Aquaman, Bumblebee, and Spider-Verse all releasing around the same time, meant none of them were going to reach their full potential.

- the sour taste that the previous films must have had on Bumblebee's success, and the positive reaction Bumblebee is receiving. It won't undo all the damage done, but it does slightly change the narrative on this series and cleans up the name a tad.

There's also the fact that a lot of kids are on break for the next week or two, so there's always the chance that the very positive word of mouth this film is receiving, gives the film a slight boost.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with your points. But it's fun to find a few angles and reasons to root for the underdog and see if they come to fruition. A lot of hardcore fans seem to be enjoying the film, and while Hailee Steinfeld was the only true saving grace for my enjoyment of the film, it'd be a shame if the series were to end as soon as it finally found its' footing. My bet is that we will see another Transformers movie announced in the next year or two.

[Galactus]

It's possible this is the end of the road for the Transformers movies for a while but I have a suspicion that this franchise has made too much money for all involved for them to give up now.

It's possible that given Bumblebee's commercial failure that Paramount if not Bay himself will seek out a Bay-like director to retool the franchise back to the formula they feel last worked. Michael Bay presents: Jonathan Leibesman's Transformers perhaps?

If I'm being optimistic I could say even though it looks like Bumblebee wont be a financial success it's positive fan and critical reception may be enough for them to apply this formula to a proper Transformers movie which I would argue is what most fans want.

I doubt anyone at Paramount were really expecting this to do well. It's a movie about a single Transformer and not even the lead one. It's not like Bumblebee is even a real character in any of the previous live action Transformers movies why would you expect anyone to commit to this? This was put out because they'd made such a big deal about a Transformers extended universe to build hype for The Last Knight they had little choice to follow through on at least one. Even the release date suggests that they didn't think they had something commercially viable on their hands (same with Aquaman and Into the Spider-Verse) so the fact that it's making any positive waves at all might be enough for the next Transformers movie to be akin to a movie with this style than the Bay movies. But it totally has to be a proper Transformer movie and a proper reboot than this half attempt.

As a not entirely separate point I'm going to guess that Platinum Dunes are looking at this with interest.

[Andrew NDB]

Total reboot in 3-5 years.

[Xav]

And given it's simultaneous pre-production next to The Last Knight, they didn't even know The Last Knight was going to be a flop yet.

If Bumblee bombs, following The Last Knight's bombing, though... that might be all she wrote for Transformers movies for a good while.Did The Last Knight really bomb? It made triple it's budget worldwide that has to be enough to turn a profit.

[Andrew NDB]

Did The Last Knight really bomb? It made triple it's budget worldwide that has to be enough to turn a profit.

It did a PotC #5 level sink. And it was the first Transformers movie to not -- and by a lot -- make its budget "back" domestically. Which means a ton. Overseas factored in they did a little better than breaking even, factored into net. Which is why they immediately tabled and shuttered the release date of Transformers 6... and everything got quiet until Bumblebee press started.

That Bumblebee has failed means the end of all these things. After TF5 failed Bumblebee was their ace in the hole to do "Let's see what happens." Didn't work.

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

Bumblebee hasn't failed yet. it hasn't opened in all of the overseas markets yet, and when it reaches China, a big Transformers market, there will be no freshly-released Aquaman to compete with. Don't count this movie out just yet.

[ZariusTwo]

An animated movie is currently in development

https://movieweb.com/transformers-cybertron-movie/

[drgon78]

A animated movie sounds interesting.

I do hope that Bumblebee gets good word of mouth and makes it big overseas.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

This is definitely the best live-action Transformers movie and the only one I legitimately enjoyed. Not perfect but eons better than what Bay did.

[Xav]

Paramount must be so confused. Everybody said they hated the Bay films yet they made a ton of money. Now people are saying this is the Transformers movie they wanted yet no ones going to see it.

[Autbot_Benz]

Paramount must be so confused. Everybody said they hated the Bay films yet they made a ton of money. Now people are saying this is the Transformers movie they wanted yet no ones going to see it.

well Paramount made the blunder to release it the same day as Aquaman Spider-Man into the spiderverse and Mary Poppins Returns. Also the last two Bay movies really soured people on the franchise

[TigerClaw]

well Paramount made the blunder to release it the same day as Aquaman Spider-Man into the spiderverse and Mary Poppins Returns. Also the last two Bay movies really soured people on the franchise
Yeah. That was a cluster****. Because I had to watch all 3 of those movies on that weekend. I ended up seeing Aquaman first. then after the Holidays I was able to catch up and watch Bumblebee and Mary Poppins Returns after. I prefer that they release these movies per week and not at the same time.

[sdp]

Who expected Aquaman to do good though? The DCEU had doing horrible and Aquaman is seen as a joke by mainstream audiences.
Marry Poppins is a franchise that doesn't seem to be able to have appeal in 2018.
Spider-Man was an animated film and not live action so not seen as competition since it was for babbies

There was no Star Wars and Transformers had a new look. I can see why they tried.

But they didn't. And given it's simultaneous pre-production next to The Last Knight, they didn't even know The Last Knight was going to be a flop yet.

If Bumblee bombs, following The Last Knight's bombing, though... that might be all she wrote for Transformers movies for a good while.

I think it means that after TLK bombed they decided to make it a reboot instead of a prequel, hence we still have some things that somewhat connect to the first film but other things like designs and key aspects don't. This was their reboot and it failed, maybe Beast Wars or they'll first venture to see if Power Rangers can be a thing in film to continue their hasbroverse

[Galactus]

^^^

Thing is the various studios released all three of these movies in December to die.

They were all movies that I doubt they had much faith in but pretty much had to be made to save face for their various expanded universes. When they failed they could easily brush it off with "well we released it at the wrong time".

Kinda funny that two of them have become commercially successful and all three have been well received by critics and fans. Personally I think Bumblebee is the weakest of the three but it's still good and hope for this style to be built on.

Inevitably there will be another proper Transformers movie and when it happens the question goes will they go down the Bay route which has proven equally as unprofitable with the last installment or build on this style.

I reiterate that Platinum Dunes are looking at this with some interest and trepidation.

[Autbot_Benz]

Sequel in Development

https://www.slashfilm.com/bumblebee-sequel-development/

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

Looks like, despite all predictions, it made enough money for a sequel. Seems like the studio was happy with the results.

You know, I wonder if a lot of the 'experts' who declare a movies success or failure based on box office, are mistaken in how much a movie like this has to earn to turn a profit.

[Coola Yagami]

Looks like, despite all predictions, it made enough money for a sequel. Seems like the studio was happy with the results.

You know, I wonder if a lot of the 'experts' who declare a movies success or failure based on box office, are mistaken in how much a movie like this has to earn to turn a profit.

On the other hand maybe the studio is too stubborn to call it quits over fear of losing the brand to someone else. They might be willing to take a loss if they think the sequel will recover their losses.

[drgon78]

I think the movie should have made a lot more money but I am happy that it will get a sequel.

[TigerClaw]

Looks like, despite all predictions, it made enough money for a sequel. Seems like the studio was happy with the results.

You know, I wonder if a lot of the 'experts' who declare a movies success or failure based on box office, are mistaken in how much a movie like this has to earn to turn a profit.
The movie had a smaller budget then the previous movies. So it was able to make back its money.

[Kenwatanabesclone]

I only hope now they take what they learned with this film and apply it to a nice G1 inspired Transformers ensemble film.

[TigerClaw]

I only hope now they take what they learned with this film and apply it to a nice G1 inspired Transformers ensemble film.
Also they need to continue allowing directors to have the creative freedom making these movies. Bumblebee was successful. Because they allowed Travis Knight to make the movie he wants. even though Michael Bay was the producer. He had no input on it. As long as it stays that way. They can continue making more of these spinoff movies.

[AquaParade]

As I said on the last page, I didn’t see this franchise going away. Sure, it’s been on a downhill trend, box office wise, but you don’t just throw away a franchise that has made as much money as this one.

Spider-Man was also on a downward trend, and now it’s on the way back up. Not a perfect comparison, but enough to get the point across.

[sdp]

Apparently this movie tripled its budget so far and great toy sales so Hasbro is more than happy, sequel is happening and all reshots were done to have this take place outside the Bay universe and any connections in the movie are just left overs they couldn't get rid off or didn't care.

[Andrew NDB]

Apparently this movie tripled its budget so far

Only overseas. :lol: They'll be lucky to get half of that. The movie did a little bit better than break even. It's all about the domestic.

Look at TF1. 151 million production budget, took in 319 million domestically, but still did 708 million worldwide. Look at TF: Last Knight. 217 production budget, took in 130 million domestically... but still took in 602 million worldwide, only 100 million shy of what TF1 did worldwide. But it was a failure and won't get a sequel.

[sdp]

It's all about the domestic.


No one cares about domestic anymore, they're looking to expand worldwide where there's an audience, ticket sales have never recovered since TV became a thing decades ago and it's only gotten worse, you can inflate numbers but current Hollywood needs worldwide profits. The Chinese will continue to influence movies for years to come since it's the main place where Hollywood can expand but they've also done plenty of legwork in other countries.

[Leo656]

As I understand it, what the studios take home from overseas sales is a fraction of what they pull in from domestic, though. I mean it helps, sure, and it definitely helps them trumpet those numbers a little louder. "Our movie made $__ million!" sounds a lot better if you don't whisper, "Except 90% of the audience it was actually aimed at stayed home." But I don't think they LOVE it when most of their profits come from Somewhere Else. Somewhere Else isn't the target audience, they're just starved for blockbusters and show up in droves accordingly.

Regardless, they're apparently pushing ahead.
https://screenrant.com/bumblebee-reboots-transformers-confirms-hasbro/

Too bad that they couldn't have had a more seamless transition from the Bay stuff into this, which apparently is more like what people wanted from the beginning. But I'd be shocked if they had just shut down, box office be damned. It's a huge franchise, they were never going to shut it down. At worst they'd take 5 years off to regroup. But they were always gonna make more eventually.

At least now they've figured out how to please an audience, even if they now have the unenviable position of regaining their collective support and confidence and hoping that support translates into money.

[Andrew NDB]

No one cares about domestic anymore

That's insane. No. The take-home value for studios at, say, 20 million domestically... you'd need to similarly see 60 million overseas, probably 90 to see the equivalent amount of studio net profit. To take those numbers at face value is to assume that every theater in the US is a not-for-profit organization, and that overseas, they import, localize, and redub/recut everything for their counties and give us all of the profits. They don't even give us most of the profits, not even half.

Again, theaters take their cut on a sliding scale, and let's not forget the marketing budget. Just like the Ghostbusters remake technically made 229 million worldwide on a 144 million dollar budget... yet everyone and their mom involved with the movie admits it lost a sh** ton of money.

[Leo656]

I HATE "Movie Math"! :tgrumble: Worse than goddamn calculus.

Thanks for confirming what I was pretty sure I'd heard, though, about dollar-for-dollar not being equal when it comes to foreign vs. domestic. I'm not half the expert you are on those things, but I was pretty sure that was something I'd absorbed at some point.

[sdp]

That's insane. No.
emoney isn't
I chose my words poorly, the point is not that the majority of the US but Hollywood is following the trend of other industries to expand into other markets to survive in the future. Why do you think FAANG has expanded into many countries so much? It's not because they get barely any profits from their investment, same here in the movie industry, the only place for growth is outside the US so they want to appeal to them more and make the movies a bigger habit, look at all the money they're investing in other countries like Mexico in marketing. If you're just an armchair analyst then yeah you don't see that as a good market because you see raw numbers without context, it's the growth in profits in these markets and brand recognition, not short term profits. The US will continue to be a lesser player in the next decades and if multinationals don't have a long term strategy they'll lose their power they have now.

[Cowabung-Gal]

I saw Bumblebee, and while it was a decent film, I thought the female protagonist was kinda annoying. And that scene where her stepdad tells her to smile more often, clearly third wave feminist messaging.

(Personally, I don’t see what’s wrong with telling a girl to smile. Guys have told me that before at work but I never got offended. After all, a smile is a woman’s best accessory. Plus, there are at least ten benefits of smiling: https://www.verywellmind.com/top-reasons-to-smile-every-day-2223755.)

Also, why could’ve the movie have taken place in 1984, the year Transformers premiered in real life, instead of 1987? I guess so they could use the song “Don’t You Forget About Me” which wasn’t released until 1985.

[IMJ]

I saw Bumblebee, and while it was a decent film, I thought the female protagonist was kinda annoying. And that scene where her stepdad tells her to smile more often, clearly third wave feminist messaging.

Really? I thought she was great in it - played a likeably unlikeable person somewhat appropriate for that age. I didn't LOVE Bumblebee, but I'm entertained in general by the Transformers movie and I thought Bumblebee was one of the best ones.

[Andrew NDB]

I thought the female protagonist was kinda annoying

I could kind of watch Hailee Steinfeld in anything.

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