Are The ‘Transformers’ Films ACTUALLY Getting a Reboot?
Last summer when Transformers: The Last Knight debuted, I wondered if ‘The Last Knight would be ‘The Last Straw’. Fast forward less than a year later, and it looks like that might indeed be the case! This all began two weeks ago after the Hasbro Investor Preview at the 2018 Toy Fair where reportedly “Hasbro specifically stated that a new team at Paramount will reset the Transformers Live Action Movie Series following the release of Bumblebee: The Movie”. This news was broken by Silver Optimus on Transformers World and the internet took this…. Rather well!
Whereas “reboots” are usually met with sighs and screams of “WHY”, the Transformers franchise is one that has been begging for a reboot for a while now. Transformers are no longer the only blockbusters in the ‘giant robot/ monster’ genre anymore, and whereas other films have given us spectacle and story; Transformers has thrown continuity and storytelling out the window to make room for more EXPLOSIONS! #Bayhem
Now this would mean that the previously planned Transformers 6 would be scrapped, but since no work or casting has been made on that front, there’s no real loss. And in terms of ending a franchise before it’s finished, The Amazing Spider-Man still holds the title of the Most Awkward stop. The only awkwardness that comes with this announcement is the fact that this reboot is happening AFTER the Bumblebee: The Movie spinoff. Why see a film that’s about to be Rebooted and scrapped afterwards? Well, that fear might have been what propelled the ‘follow up’ remarks by Hasbro.
According to Bleeding Cool, during a different presentation at the 2018 Toy Fair, Hasbro answered some audience questions about these Reboot remarks and replied,
“Don’t believe what you hear, don’t worry”
… I mean, that’s not really a ‘No’; but it’s also not a promising answer. Though by that logic, are we supposed to believe them when they say ‘don’t believe it’? Which is the real report (if any)? This follow up/ denial largely went under the radar, which is why I waited so long to write this article. Who knows what the truth actually is and what was just hype-bait? Then again, there was one final news article out there that went even further under the radar; but just might lend some evidence to one of these reports.
The day before all these Toy Fair reports began, Deadline got an Exclusive story about Netflix looking at a multi-year deal with Ian Bryce. Who is Ian Bryce you ask? Well, he’s been a major producer of the Transformers franchise since the first film back in 2007. This could be the “new team at Paramount” that the original story was hinting at! Pair this with the declining Transformers franchise numbers (see updated chart below) and it’s clear that Hasbro HAS to do something soon.
| Title | Opening Weekend | Domestic Box Office | International Box Office |
| Transformers | $70M | $319M | $390M |
| T: Revenge Of The Fallen | $108M | $402M | $434M |
| T: Dark Of The Moon | $97M | $352M | $771M |
| T: Age Of Extinction | $100M | $245M | $858M |
| T: The Last Knight | $44M | $130M | $605M |
So Hasbro, allow me to tell you: “Don’t worry”. A reboot is exactly what many of us want to hear! Transformers started to stall a bit with Dark of the Moon; but then the Dinobots lured us back for Age of Extinction – only to be burned when we found out they would only be on screen for a few minutes. So by time The Last Knight debuted, people were tired. Give people a Transformers movie where the Transformers are actually the stars! Give people continuity! Give people a story! It’s doesn’t have to be a crazy complicated story! Just something that doesn’t contradict itself every other film!
And as far as Bumblebee: The Movie awkwardness, hey, make that film a closing celebration of the previous franchise. Then end of an era. “An Unforgettable Journey!” You know, that thing The Last Knight was marketed as despite the film, producers, and cast boasting about Transformers 6 and all the spin-offs immediately to follow it…..
Related Articles:
- Transformers: The Last Knight Sees Lowest Series Opening
- Chris Tucker Confirms Rush Hour 4 is Happening!
- Jurassic World 3 Gets a 2021 Release Date
- Black Panther Made Over $25 Million on its First Night!
Joe primarily covers video games news (i.e.: Pokemon, Spyro & Destiny) as well as the occasional ‘Theory Thursday’ pieces. Before writing for FanFest, Joe was the Creator & Editor of TheInsightfulPanda.com. He is also an illustrator and is currently working on Season 3 of his not-for-profit, fan-art crossover series PokéRangers on Instagram.
