Don’t be fooled by Paramount’s decision to brand Transformers: The Last Knight as the ‘final chapter’ in the saga – if anything, Michael Bay’s imminent sequel heralds a new beginning for the Transformers universe as a whole.
From Bumblebee-centric spinoffs rooted in the 80s to sweeping historical epics to animated prequels designed to cast light on the origins of Cybertron, the future of Paramount’s effects-laden blockbuster is relatively bright, and it all begins when The Last Knight uncovers the secret history of Transformers in one week’s time. Not bad for a movie franchise loosely based on a Hasbro toyline.
As things stand, that Bumblebee prequel will be next to tumble off the studio’s production line in 2018 – Travis Knight is on board to direct Hailee Steinfield – before Paramount’s writers room beckons moviegoers back to the core timeline for a sixth Transformers movie the following year. And though he’s developed something of reputation for hemming and hawing about his future in this juggernaut universe, Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner has confirmed that, at least for now, the director’s chair for the untitled TF6 remains vacant.
There is not a director yet, but it’s certainly a date we believe we can achieve. We own several hundred characters in the mythology. People don’t know much about their home planet. We’re in the process of thinking about what is the next story to tell.
For the record, the release date that Goldner alludes to is June 28th, 2019, which doesn’t leave Paramount with an awful lot of time to pinpoint a replacement for the outgoing Bay – assuming he really calls it quits this time, of course.
Transformers: The Last Knight will surely herald some answers – both plot-wise and answers regarding the future of Paramount’s juggernaut franchise – when Michael Bay’s fifth TF movie crashes into theatres on June 21st. To sate your appetite for Bayhem, we’ve included two new clips for the blockbuster sequel, with the latter unveiling a quieter moment between Mark Wahlberg, Anthony Hopkins, and the towering Cogman.