Toy company-turned movie franchise machine Hasbro has seen mixed success with their adventures in blockbuster filmmaking. After their first highly profitable Transformers film, as well as a solid (albeit critically derided) follow-up in Revenge of the Fallen, the company saw the releases of both G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra and, more recently, Battleship, which both opened to lukewarm critical responses and underwhelming (but slightly profitable) box office hauls.
Following in the profitable footsteps of the prior robots in disguise films, Transformers: Dark of the Moon brought in a staggering $1.1 billion – ranking as number 5 on the all time global box office chart (unadjusted for inflation). As a result, most moviegoers would assume that when it comes to the Transformers movie franchise, Hasbro would be eager to stress an “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” approach for the upcoming Transformers 4. However, it now sounds as though the story might not just take Transformers fans off-world, it could drastically switch up the film’s iconic robot cast – in the interest of generating more revenue from movie tie-in toys.
According to a write-up at TFW2005, which highlights key announcements from Hasbro at the UBS Best Of Americas 2012 Conference, despite an astronomical box office take for Transformers 3, the toy maker did not feel as though the accompanying toy sales lived up to expectations. Why? Brian Goldner, Hasbro President and CEO, claims the films have largely focused on the same group of hero and villain robots – resulting in limited variation for the toy line.
Goldner asserted, for Transformers 4, the story would center around a new batch of robots – for the purpose of refreshing the toy line. Here’s the relevant, and obviously paraphrased, information from the TFW2005 report:
[The failure to meet expectations for the toys were] because of same characters in all three movies. This is why Transformers 4 will have a new cast of [robot] characters and it will be a story revolving around these new characters. Goldner said Transformers will branch out to more categories. For example; during Transformers 3, they had an idea to expand the Transformers brand [to the] Little Kids segment. This was the origin of Rescuebots said Mr. Goldner. Soon the idea took a separate life and evolved [into] a separate toyline. [Goldner] said it’s normal for any brand to experience this situation (what happened to Transformers 3 toyline) and stated that brands need re-imagining, [reinventing], and hinted that the same is to happen with Transformers 4.
We’ve known for some time that Transformers 4 would be a departure from the original trilogy of films, changing out the primary human cast, adding a number of new robots, and setting up the franchise for new directors – so that Michael Bay can stop saying Transformers [fill in the blank] will “be his last.” However, it was long expected that the film would still maintain a number of the key Transformers - to retain certain continuity elements (and, subsequently, the established audience).
Of course, Goldner is not saying that every established Transformer will be replaced, plus a number of familiar faces did meet their end in Dark of the Moon, but it’s hard to know at this point where the filmmakers intend to draw the line – since many of the deluxe action toys (with a higher profit margin) have typically featured characters that would be hard to remove from the franchise altogether (like Optimus Prime and Bumblebee). Given the love for these fan-favorite characters, especially among younger demographics that would buy the toys, it’s hard to imagine Hasbro can clean the slate entirely. Could the filmmakers be planning an approach similar to the upcoming G.I. Joe: Retaliation – which is an in-continuity reboot with only a few returning faces?
In addition, it’s hard to know what exactly “branch out to more categories” might mean – especially since the example given, regarding the “Little Kids segment” isn’t likely to inspire a lot of confidence in fans of the blockbuster film franchise or die-hard Transformers lovers who have enjoyed the more mature themes explored in the various comic book, and certain animated series, additions. Plus, it’s unlikely that Bay will deliver a PG movie – especially since a “kid-friendly” set of Transformers is at odds with earlier details indicating the film would be a “serious” toned sequel to Dark of the Moon.
Goldner also confirmed that the studio is still targeting a 2014 release, meaning the gears are already turning on the Transformers sequel. Considering a summer release is less than two years away, it’s likely that the filmmakers and Hasbro have a pretty clear idea for the next installment story – as well as how they’ll be able to implement a batch of new robots (and toys). Unfortunately, we’re not privy to that information yet – so any potential story ideas (Galvatron, Unicron) or drastic continuity shifts (Beast Wars) would be pure speculation (or pipe dreams). Either way, after playing through Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (which features countless nods to Transformers lore), we wouldn’t mind if this new cast of robot characters happened to include a few Dinobots.
In the meantime, reminisce by checking out our Transformers 3 Character Guide as well as our Transformers: Complete Movie Character Guide and let us know which new robots in disguise you’d like to see introduced in Transformers 4.
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Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for more on Transformers 4 as well as future movie, TV, and gaming news.
Transformers 4 is scheduled to hit theaters on June 29th, 2014
Source: TFW2005 [via BleedingCool]
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This is what happens when a toy franchise owns…..well a franchise.
Maybe if they made the Bots actually look as cool as they are in the cartoon/comics/G1 toy line instead of looking like screwed up candy bar wrappers, they might actually sell some toys.
This.
Yup
Exactely, I’ve been collecting toys since1977 and the toys hasbro has been putting for the last four years suck! The only toys that are any good are the vintage star wars figures.
Word.
Couldn’t agree more!
so….wait, they’re going to make a MOVIE to sell TOYS?!?! I thought you sold toys to profit from the movie?
Well, back in the 80′s Hasbro commissioned a cartoon to sell a series of japanese toys that now we know of as Transformers.
They have finally admitted what many already knew, these movies are just loud, extended commercials for their toy line, and whatever other product placement they sell ad space to. People shouldn’t be shocked though, I figured out their strategy when the original animated movie came out when I was a kid. They killed off most of the older characters and replaced them or changed them into update versions.
And now you know, and knowing is half the battle…..
Here’s an idea, Beast Wars Transformers! I have no idea how bad they can mess it up but it’s worth a shot
O hell no, Bay better not touch Beast Wars with thirty foot pole. I grew up watching that show an it’s still one of my favorites. He can have Beast Machines
OH SNAP! We saw what happened when they went that direction in the 1986 Transformers: The Movie. I don’t know if I could handle Optimus Prime dying again say it ain’t… say it isn’t so.
Killing Optimus again wouldn’t have much of an impact considering they already killed and esablished they could just bring him back in Revenge of The Fallen.
And it isn’t like they haven’t killed every single version of Optimus Prime/Primal in every series/ movie anyway! I am sick o that storyline cause it isn’t shocking anymore.
yeah. that’s why i wasn’t shocked when they killed megatron at the end of the third film when we already know he will just come back to life.
So Hasbro thinks different robots will sell better? Really? Someone at Hasbro needs to be fired.
Just put some Dinobots in the movie and I’ll watch it. Grimlock please!
^ Yes to this!
Yeah they killed Prime in the 80s Animated Movie, and good lord was there ever an uproar…and next season Prime was back….Yeah pretty much as Prime goes, so does the Autobots, because Rodimus is such a pansy….So
Beast Wars, kind of Hard because they actually pre-date the Autobots and Decepticons, so it would take place after over 4 million years….
Autbots to consider, me personally..DINOBOTS…Can get away with them being an attraction.
Would love to See Sideswipe team up with his Brother Sunstreaker
A TRUE DEVESTATOR…Not that monstrosity in ROTF
Springer and HOT ROD…Not pansy rodimus
Galvatron, Cyclonus, Dirge, ramjet, Skywarp and Thunder Cracker
And I would love to see two of the biggest transformers …..Metroplex and Trypticon…Now that would be cool.
Thoughts?
that sounds good, and i would love to see tidal wave in one of the movies, and introduce minicons from the armada tv series, i even had a name to associate this searching for the minicons, the movie would be called transformers the lost race, just imagine optimus and galvatron fighting it out with the star saber and skyboom shield, and there is also the requiem blaster, all three of these combine to make the hydra cannon, and this would be perfect to introduce unicron, cause he was involved in the armada series as well
One word for you bud……Yes!
Sounds nice. And I have no problem with that, but Transformers SPAN almost 30 Years in the United States, almost 40 in Japan. There are literally 2 generation and a half that have 4 different versions of Transformers, I am Generation 1, My Twin daughters are familiar with Beast Wars (Something proud about a mans daughters genetically nerd gifted when it comes to transformers.) My yongest daughters are familiar with the New Animated Transformers from the past several years. When we saw Transformers, my twins were saying ” Where is Optimus Primal?” So I had to explain to them, uh..This is daddy’s Transformers, sort of.
Reboot the Series, quite frankly I can do with a less Cluster Frack, and rather have a good story with the right action.
A true devastator the one that was the most feared dacepticon of them all. Rodimus is ok but i would like for him to be hot rod for a few movies first.
Dinobots,not Grimlock alone…Grimlock, Slag, Sludge, Snarl and Swoop
It will dinobots and many autobots,dedcepticons and many other robots.
I would only care for Dinobots, or Beast Wars elements if they had a good story to explain their origins like in FoC, which I know will never happen. I want a reboot, since I don’t think anyone can truly replace Megatron and it would be pathetic if he was just brought back to life for a second (and a half?) time.
I don’t mind the designs though, I think most of the bots look pretty cool. Devastator, Starscream, and a few others could go through changes, but I’d like to see the same Optimus again for sure.
they need brawn, ultra magnus, dinobots, unicron, mirage, cliff jumper, and get a chick lets have arcee.
Arcee got smoked in ROTF..She was the motorcycle…all three of them.
Ok! ok! Keep, the main guys and surround them with different characters, there is whole lot to choose from….Dinoboys, Constractocons, etc…
personally i just think you people should watch this short link and find out just what a new TF trilogy could be….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJdp3eZdYIU
The above link was pretty poor. I appreciate its only by a kid, but I’d prefer not to have any more TF movies if this approach was taken.
Personally, I think the Dinobots are what’s needed to reinvigorate interest in the films and toyline. As referred to in the article, the new Transformers game (War for Cybertron) seems to get a lot right – it pays respect to the foundations laid by G1, but has a fresh look and a relatively good story.
First off LMAO. second they should have used dino bots,Prowl Cup and actually focus on new characters then just straight action from begining to end then the films would have been good and they would have sold new toys of really good characters.
I’m not the huge transformer whiz but i think the films are really fun and entertaining to watch and have really great and sick action in them, i know that they lack a ton of great story and they’ll obviously never win any awards lol. But i’ve always liked them. I sure hope that with Transformers 4 they don’t make the mistake they made with Batman and Robin which was make the movie the byproduct of the toys thats movie production fail one o one
Maybe if the producer stopped making each of the bloody robots look almost the same, and gave them some colour and personality, Hasbro would sell some of those toys?
Making movie for all the right reasons, I see…
You can’t knock Hasbro for wanting to sell toys; that’s why the the cartoon even existed. But the movies don’t lend themselves to selling toys. Sure parents who remember transformers brought their kids, but they are hardly movies that kids would enjoy. They are too “serious”. I love transformers, but the movies lack the fun of Marvel movies and the legitimacy of the Batman movies. They have the worst of all worlds. I’d rather bring my kids to see the original, Transformers:The Movie.
I am still holding out for A Gobots movie.
the reason no one buys the toys anymore is b/c of the lack of quality in them, back when i was young the beast war toys where made and looked pretty good, but the current gen of toys have dodgy paint work, look horrific and dont last any longer then the time it takes you to unbox them.
if they want to sell the toys like they used to, they need to amp up the quality so that people get what they paid for… also, the transformers toys barely transform anymore and they look horrific (b/c they try to make them look like the movie counterparts).
Then it becomes hard to find, but I totally agree with you. Only ones worth buying cost 60 dollars or more.
Yes, I went and got Prime with Trailer to add to all my collection of Primes.
MIB all of them!
Just replace Optimus with Ultra Magnus and Bumblebee with Cliffjumper and make the offworld threat for a 4th movie Unicron. Hollywood will screw it up anyway and the toys will still outdo ticket sales. As for me, I’m in love with what has been done with the War/Fall of Cybertron games, I’d rather see the figures from that.
It’s all about T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶n̶j̶a̶m̶i̶n̶s̶ ,er toys baby. Hasbro knows this.
They gotta have some returning faces! No prime and no bumble bee= whats the point of a transformers 4? Just make a beast wars movie or something.
Hotrod, ultra magnus, galvatron. That is all
They could do the Transformers with a combo of Animated, Fall of Cybertron and the Movies.
The reason the Transformers look like they do in the movies, is due to the panels and mechanical parts in cars, trucks, planes and what have you. The physics make it more believable, I however want to see a modern update.
Take the Animated, you combine those with the movie, but instead of exposed parts and gears, you have panels slide down over them….Transformers Movie Optimus Prime, or Gen 1 To this date, is the Prime of all Primes.
I would rather they a lion version of Voltron as a movie.
Here are the bots Bay should include
Optimus Prime
Sentinel Prime
Override
Hound
Trailbreaker
Ultra Magnus
Silverbolt
Slingshot
Skydive
Sky Shadow
Fireflight
Springer
Moonracer
and Omega Supreme
Skyquake
Blitzwing
Cyclonus
Scourge
Octane
Ratbat
Dirge
Thrust
Onslaught
Vortex
Blast Off
Swindle
Treadshot
and Trypticon
They are just now figuring out they should have new robots??if they do this everyone will be happy.the kids,hasbro and transformers fans.hopefully we see unicron galvatron,bring back soundwave please.hot rod ultra magnus kup cliffjumper just to name a few.i wouldnt mind ifthey killed optimus prime because lets face it.theirs a darkside in. Every franchise.youknow it and i know it.if optimus getskilled have ultra magnus lead the bots.hot rod was great but notasa prime