TheTransformersfilm series is one of the most lucrative blockbuster franchises spearheaded by Paramount Pictures and the most successful movie property to come out of the distributor’s deal with the toy company Hasbro. The franchise is now ready to continue and the studio is taking the film series in an exciting new direction, as the next live-action installment has officially been titledTransformers: Rise of the Beasts.
The franchise is undoubtedly profitable, having grossed a collective total of $4.85 billion dollars worldwide, but the individual films have been hit or miss with critics.Transformers: Revenge of the FallenandAge of Extinction, especially, are regarded by some critics as two of the worst movies ever made (let alone Hollywood blockbuster films), with the series as a whole garnering 34 Razzie nominations. The most recent entry in the franchise,a prequel titledBumblebee, was received by fans as a step forward due to its restrained scope, as it focused primarily on the bond between a teenager and the titular Autobot—but it may take more than one film to firmly establish a course correction for the franchise.
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Now,Rise of the Beastsis ready to continue the franchise’s legacy. Peter Cullen, who has voiced Optimus Prime since the first film, will return to reprise the role, whileIn the Heightsstar Anthony Ramos andJudas and the Black Messiahactress Dominique Fishback will be starring as the main human characters.Creed IIdirector Steven Caple Jr. will helm the film, withKing Arthur: Legend of the Swordwriter Joby Harold credited as the screenwriter. The tweet posted by the officialTransformersaccount stated that the film’s screentime will not only be populated byAutobots and Decepticons, but by Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons as well.
Ramos recently talked aboutTransformers 7in an interview withVariety, celebrating the fact that he has been selected to follow in the footsteps of Shia LaBeouf, Mark Wahlberg, and Hailee Steinfeld as the lead actor of aTransformersfilm. TheHamiltoncast member stated that it was exciting to add diversity to the franchise alongside Fishback. The specific nature of their roles in the film is currently under wraps, but Ramos’s enthusiasm for the project is exciting for fans and critics alike.
WhetherTransformers: Rise of the Beastsis closer to the bombastic conflict andscale of the Michael BayTransformersmoviesor the departure hinted upon byBumblebeeremains to be seen, with earlier reports stating that the sequel won’t look anything like the others. However, as it stands, moviegoers will undoubtedly be excited to see Optimus Prime and his crew of Autobots return to the big screen. Between the inclusion ofTransformerscharacters not yet shown on the big screen (such as Maximals and Predacons) and Paramount’s evident dedication to diversity, the nextTransformersfilm is looking to be one to watch out for.
Transformers: Rise of the Beastswill roll out to theaters on June 24th, 2022.
