There's no denying that Transformers is a cinematic behemoth. When Michael Bay first brought the robots in disguise to the big screen, many were skeptical about how successful the 1980s toy-turned multiplatform property would be in live-action. Nine years on the films themselves may not get the best reviews, but with three sequels, $3.7 billion at the worldwide box office and who knows how much in merchandising, it's clear it was a massive success for Paramount. It's even inspired a bunch of other toy-related series - Battleship, G.I. Joe, Ouija, Trolls and, the best of the bunch, The LEGO Movie.
The fifth entry in the series, Transformers: The Last Knight, comes out in June of 2017 - and in a year that boasts a new Spider-Man, a Guardians of the Galaxy sequel, a long-awaited Justice League and Star Wars 8, it stands to be one of the most successful films. The movie will bring back all the key surviving robots, along with Mark Wahlberg's blokey inventor Cade Yeager and Stanley Tucci's hapless CEO Joshua Joyce, while also introducing Anthony Hopkins to the series. Based on persistent rumours and eyebrow-raising casting, it appears the film will deal with the legend of King Arthur in some respect.
We'll get a proper taste of what's in store very soon. Speaking on the official Transformers Twitter account, Michael Bay (who's directed every entry in the series to date) revealed that the trailer will arrive along with the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in December:
"I want to tell you, because I've been reading you comments, the teaser is coming. December 16th on Star Wars. So look forward to it."
Although many movies kick off their long-term marketing campaign with a teaser trailer, The Last Knight has already been promoted through character reveals, behind-the-scenes footage and even a massive poster in Times Square. It's clear that Paramount knows their audience and is making its best efforts to excite them. This teaser announcement shows things moving wider, however, with the first look footage attached to what is sure to be one of the biggest films of the year.
We've known for a while that The Last Knight trailer would hit before 2016 was over, but this gives Transformers fans a firmer date to put in their calendars. It's worth remembering that while the tradition of attaching a trailer to prints still lives on, their actual debut tends to be online a few days earlier - so even though The Last Knight trailer won't be showing in theaters until December 16th, it should be online a few days before then.
The Transformers movies themselves have (fairly) been criticized for being brash, loud, disorienting experiences that, for some, are only worth seeing to find out what part of history Bay's linking to the Autobot/Decepticon war this time (previous films ensnared the Hoover Dam, the Pyramids, the Moon landings and the extinction of the dinosaurs). Of course, as the box office returns prove, there is a large contingent who do enjoy the adventures of Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and their counterparts, human and robotic alike. If the excited responses to Bay's tweet are anything to go by, this first look at The Last Knight is being heavily anticipated in many circles.
NEXT: Steven Jablonsky Starts Scoring The Last Knight
Source: Michael Bay
