TheDeadpooleffect is in, well, full effect. We’re not three days away from the R-rated superhero pic’s smashing box office success, and we’re already seeingstudios attempting to learn lessons from Fox’s gamble. The first, it appears, is Paramount with itsTransformersfranchise. We learned last week that theTransformers 6that the studio plopped down on a June 2018 release date is, in fact,a spinoff revolving around the character of Bumblebeerather than a fully fledgedTransformerssequel (which makes sense—even with lazy scripts, these crazy expensive movies can’t be madethatfast). Now, word comes that the Bumblebee spinoff will be a “lower cost” movie, which in the wake ofDeadpoolfeels like a direct response to how Fox approached theRyan Reynolds-fronted pic.
Speaking withTHR, Paramount CEOBrad Greyrevealed their angle for the Bumblebee movie will differ from how they’ve tackled previousTransformersfilms:
“There are characters in theTransformersuniverse that can be and should be made into their own movies. We will make the first movie with Michael and go right into a Bumblebee movie, which will be at a lower cost.”
The “Michael” he’s referring to there is, of course,Michael Bay, who is back by popular (studio) demand to helmTransformers 5, which he pinky promises is his lastTransformersmovie. It’s understandable why Paramount would want him back—with Bay at the helm, theTransformersfilms make billions upon billions of dollars, so why rock the boat?. But it’s kind of insane that one guy will have directedfivemovies in a massive franchise. That’s a lot, especially for an auteur like Bay. Whatever you think of his product, Bay’s signature as a filmmaker is fully formed, so it’d be like ifSteven Spielbergdirected fiveJawsorJurassic Parkmovies.
So what will this Bumblebee movie, then, entail exactly? For one, it’ll be the firstTransformersmovie not directed by Bay, so rather than jumping straight into a Bay-less sequel, Paramount will first soften the blow by introducing audiences to a different kind ofTransformersfilm. The studioassembled a writer’s roomto develop stories for future spinoffs and sequels, headed up byAkiva Goldsman, but it’s unclear which writers will be tasked with penning the Bumblebee film.
Moreover, what does a “lower budget”Transformersmovie look like?Transformers: Age of Extinctionalone cost $210 million, so half that is still a pretty decent-sized blockbuster. But if Bumblebee is the true star of this movie, the studio can get away with not having to pay for A-list talent onscreen, which will give more room to fill out the VFX.
Whatever the case, I’m curious to see if this approach pays off. I understand Bumblebee is a popular toy, but are audiences really itching to see the dialogue-less character get his own movie? I suppose we’ll find out on August 03, 2025.
