So, serious question—do you guys know what the hell is going on with the “Transformers” film franchise? Because honestly, at this point, it seems like there’s a lot of projects in development but nothing that seems to point to where the franchise is headed. Well, it appears that we can add one more “Transformers” project from Paramount to the pile of projects that are being developed. At least there’s a pretty great filmmaker attached.
READ MORE: Steven Caple, Jr. To Direct New ‘Transformers’ Film Aimed At Revamping The Franchise
According to THR, Paramount is bringing on director Angel Manuel Soto to helm a new “Transformers” film that will be directed by “The Defenders” showrunner, Marco Ramirez. Here’s where things get a little wacky, though. You see, this news comes mere months after it was reported that Steven Caple, Jr. is directing a new “Transformers” film that is said to continue the story that has been told in Michael Bay’s five films and the spinoff “Bumblebee.” And THR says the film that Soto is directing is not attached to that series of films. Maybe this ties into the animated “Transformers” film that is coming from the director of “Toy Story 4?” Confused yet?
So, even though we have no plot for the film, we know that Soto is helming a “Transformers” film that is presumably live-action but not attached to the billion-dollar franchise that has been around for more than a decade. So, is it a prequel that doesn’t tie into the original films? Is it another spinoff like “Bumblebee?” (Even though it’s clear that “Bumblebee” very much spawned from Bay’s ‘Transformers’ features.) And if it is not part of the existing franchise, is Paramount working on some sort of “Transformers” multiverse where there will be multiple versions of the franchise that don’t tie into each other, running simultaneously? Lots of questions, not many answers.
READ MORE: ‘Transformers’: ‘Toy Story 4’ Director Josh Cooley To Helm An Animated Prequel Film
However, we can at least be a little optimistic because of Soto’s attachment. He’s probably best known for his most recent film, “Charm City Kings,” which is a great coming-of-age film that is now on HBO Max. He’s also set to direct the “Blue Beetle” superhero film for WB/DC. So, it’s unclear when we might see production begin on whatever this “Transformers” thing turns out to be.
Once again, I gotta ask—what’s going on with “Transformers?” Multiple films, multiple franchises, lots of different creators. This should be fun to figure out.
