Paramount is developing two new Transformers movie scripts at the same time, including one that may serve as a spinoff of the Bumblebee solo film. The other one is expected to reboot the original live-action Transformers movie franchise, albeit with an even bigger ensemble and sense of scale.
Inspired by the toys and cartoon series of the same name, the live-action Transformers films kicked off in 2007, with Michael Bay directing and Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox starring. Bay would go on to direct the four sequels that followed before bowing out ten years later with 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight. While the original plan was for The Last Knight to kick-off a Transformers cinematic universe, those plans were abandoned after the film disappointed at the box office. After that, Paramount released Bumblebee, an '80s-set prequel that earned easily the best reviews for a live-action Transformers movie yet, despite also being the lowest-grossing installment in the series so far. Bumblebee was nevertheless profitable for Paramount, which explains why the studio is reportedly considering continuing the movie via spinoff.
According to Variety, Paramount now has screenplays for two new Transformers movies in simultaneous development, with James Vanderbilt writing one and Joby Harold the other. Details are vague beyond that, though Variety's sources believe one of the scripts could be set in the Bumblebee universe and the other would be a full-on reboot. It's also expected that both films will feature brand-new casts and directors, should they come to fruition.
Neither Vanderbilt nor Harold have a spotless track record, as far as the quality of their work goes. The former took home unflattering reviews for last year's Adam Sandler comedy Murder Mystery (which was nevertheless Netflix's most-watched release of 2019), while Harold has a hand in writing Guy Ritchie's infamous critical and commercial misfire, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. They do know their way around a tentpole, though, and Vanderbilt earned a good deal of praise for writing David Fincher's Zodiac in 2007. All the same, it feels like Paramount might be hedging their bets by hiring both of them to work on new Transformers movie scripts simultaneously, rather than one after the other.
Confusingly, in February 2019, Hasbro indicated Bumblebee would function as a soft reboot of the Transformers movies series. Just under a year later and it appears Paramount might be planning to change course, rather than moving forward with the Bumblebee sequel that was previously said to be in active development. It's possible the studio wants to separate future Transformers movies from the baggage that comes with being connected to the Bay-era of the franchise (something one could argue Bumblebee has already accomplished). Then again, considering they are working on two scripts at once, it's probably best to not assume the studio has made any final decisions about how to continue making films about robots in disguise just yet. One way or the other, though, it appears the Transformers will return to the big screen, and with some new human friends along for the ride.
Source: Variety