The latest word from Transformers: The Last Knight producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura has Bumblebee set to begin filming this August for theatrical release next summer, followed by Transformers 6 in 2019. As Transformers 5 begins to mount its bid to the top of the international box office - with an estimated global debut between $237.5 and $270 million - all eyes are on exiting director Michael Bay as he takes his leave from the series that he had a big hand in helping shape starting with the first film from 2007.
Since the future of the franchise is still under development to a certain extent - with much of the plot for subsequent sequels still being discussed behind the scenes - the forthcoming spin-off Bumblebee feature could very well set the tone for a post-Bay series of films. Set to ape a 1980s setting and tone reminiscent of the cult-classic The Iron Giant animated movie from 1999, the next production is all set to begin production this summer.
In our exclusive interview with Transformers: The Last Knight producer Di Bonaventura, the premiere blockbuster filmmaker told us that filming on Bumblebee will begin this August, followed by an expected theatrical release later next summer. Exclusive:
"Well we're going to shoot a prequel actually, a Bumblebee movie, which starts in August, so next summer we'll see a Bumblebee movie. And then we hope to have another Transformers movie the following summer."
Based on that logic, we wondered whether or not Di Bonaventura and company had plans to begin releasing an annual Transformers installment every summer following the release of Bumblebee in 2018 and Transformers 6 in 2019, to which the producer gave a carefully considering response:
"Look, I always wait for the audience, because there's an arrogance to getting ahead of your audience. When you do, you get punched. So we'll wait each time. We're planning a lot of movies, but you've got to have the audience's support, because these movies are very expensive."
Considering the fact that Transformers: The Last Knight is expected to underperform in comparison to preceding franchise installments - and with preview night figures lower than that of Transformers: Age of Extinction from 2014 - Di Bonaventura is probably right to wait for the final box office tally earned by the latest production into account before making any definitive statements regarding the future of the series. Bumblebee will begin production in August to make way for its release in 2018, but by the sound of things the Transformers 6 release in 2019 shouldn't be taken as a precedent setting trend for the time being.
