TheTransformersfranchise is stuck between a rock and a hard place right now, but the series has three possible futures that could be really exciting. When it started back in 2007,Transformersquickly became one of Paramount Pictures’ most valuable blockbuster properties. It hadn’t seen widespread popularity since its original cartoon aired in the 1980s, butMichael Bay’sTransformersmodernized the I.P. as a big-budget military action movie and attracted a massive audience. It was promptly followed by sequels that, for a while, kept getting bigger and bigger (and bringing in more and more money for the studio).
In recent years, though,theTransformersmovieshave been less reliable. It hasn’t delivered a huge hit in 10 years and the output in between has ranged from commercial disappointments to all-out box office bombs. AfterTransformers Onebecame the lowest-grossing entry in the franchise since the original 1986 animated film,Paramount executives have to be scrambling, trying to figure out how to get the franchise back on track. They might be considering going back to Bay — but their three best options have nothing to do with Bay.
Transformers' Most Exciting Possible Future Movies Are A Transformers One Sequel, Bumblebee 2 & The G.I. Joe Crossover
Transformers Has Three Chances For A Bright Future
Right now, the three most exciting movies theTransformersfranchise could offer are a sequel toTransformers One, a sequel toBumblebee, and the already-announced crossover withG.I. Joe.Transformers Onewas criminally underappreciated this past summer — it’s one of the best animated films of the year — and it would be a joy to see that prequel story continue in another movie.Transformers Onerecaptured the spirit of the original cartoon from the ‘80s, and it’s just getting started. Based onTransformers One’s box office, a sequel seems unlikely, and that’s a real shame.
Director Ángel Manuel Soto is reportedly developing a standaloneTransformersmovie.
Alternatively, theTransformersfranchise could finally deliver a sequel to its last genuine hit: 2018’sBumblebee.Bumblebeewas essentially theTransformersversion ofE.T., as Hailee Steinfeld’s lonely teen forged a beautiful friendship with an alien robot, andthe first movie just scratched the surface of the dramatic and comedic potential in that relationship. Paramount has already confirmed that it’s developinga crossover between theTransformersandG.I. Joefranchisesto follow up on the tease at the end ofTransformers: Rise of the Beasts. This would also be a great way to reinvigorate the franchise.
Another Entry In The Main Transformers Series Isn’t As Important Now
Michael Bay’s Mainline Transformers Series Has Run Its Course
AfterTransformers Onetried something different and bombed at the box office, Paramount might be tempted to go back to Bay — or at least back to Bay’s series ofTransformersmovies. But that would be a bad idea; the Bay series has run its course. The middling reception toRise of the Beastsproved that audiences have had their fill of big, bombastic live-actionTransformersmovies with giant ensemble casts and mega-scale battle sequences.BumblebeeandTransformers Onemight not have grossed as much as Bay’sTransformersmovies, but they were much better receivedby both critics and audiences.
What If Steven Spielberg Directed Transformers Instead Of Michael Bay
Steven Spielberg only executive-produced Transformers while Michael Bay directed. But what if Spielberg was in the director’s chair instead of Bay?
Going back to Bay’sTransformersseries would feel like a step backward for the franchise. The last couple of steps forward haven’t worked out on a financial level, but they’ve been met with a much more enthusiastic response.A sequel toTransformers Onemight not make sense from a business perspective, but a sequel toBumblebeeshould be a no-brainer — andtheG.I. Joecrossover (if it lives up to the awesomeness of its potential) has a good chance of winning back the fans they’ve lost.
Why Transformers' Movie Future Is So Convoluted
Transformers Has Been Scattershot Since Opening A Writers' Room
The future of theTransformersmovie franchise has been scattershot since Paramount decided to open up a writers’ room.This was part of a misguided attempt to turn theTransformersseries into a sprawling Marvel-style cinematic universepumping out regular sequels and spin-offs.
Rather than taking the franchise one movie at a time and really considering what each step should be, Paramount recruited a team of writers to develop several projects at a time. This has meant that the studio isn’t following what the audience is responding to; they’re just churning out randomTransformerscontent. Another big problem is thattheTransformersfranchise hasn’t delivered a bona fide box office hit in a decade.
The studio isn’t following what the audience is responding to; they’re just churning out random Transformers content.
Ever since Bay’s lastTransformersfilm,Transformers: The Last Knight, underperformed at the box office,everyTransformersmovie has grossed less than the last.Bumblebeewas a modest success, because it had a modest budget, butTransformers: Rise of the Beastswas a commercial disappointment andTransformers Onewas an outright flop. It’ll take a real crowd-pleaser to win back the audience’s goodwill and get theTransformersfranchise back on track.
Transformers
Transformers is a multimedia franchise consisting of movies, TV Shows, video games, and comics. The franchise centers on a race of humanoid robots called the autobots who must protect Earth from the Decepticons. Some of the most popular characters include Megatron, Optimus Prime, and Bumblebee. In 2007, the first live-action movie in the franchise was released starring Shia Labeouf.
