Bumblebee Movie confirmed by Hasbro as franchise reboot

Bumblebee movie
Hailee Steinfeld in BUMBLEBEE, from Paramount Pictures.

When the Bumblebee movie was announced, fans were rightfully wary. While the movie franchise had been under Michael Bay’s stewardship, it had been in steady decline for some time. Box office takings had dropped, as had ratings from the fans and critics alike. By the time of the Bumblebee spin-off, a new approach was needed. So rather than continuing in the current timeframe, the film was set in the past and a new director, Travis Knight, took the helm.

At the time, it was made clear by the studio that the Bumblebee movie was a prequel to the previous films. Despite the film being set in 1987, Peter Cullen was the only cast member to reprise his role from the previous films in the series. All of the other Autobots and Decepticons that made an appearance were recast with new voice actors. Regardless of the fact that the film was still within the BayFormers universe, fans warmed to the spin off and it became one of the most loved of the films to-date.

However, much to the delight of fans, it has now been confirmed by Hasbro that the Bumblebee movie is not a prequel. It is in fact a complete reboot of the movie franchise. This has some potentially  interesting ramifications. Fans loved the G1 feel and references throughout the film, something that had been lacking in the past. There is talk right now of a second film being planned and this would certainly explain why the announcement has been made about the movie’s status. However, a new movie franchise with G1 styling certainly bodes well.

Only time will tell if this is going to mark the beginning of a new rebirth of Transformers, but it’s certainly going to be an exciting time as a movie goer.

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Husband, father and lifelong geek. Originally from the West Midlands, now spending my days in South Wales with my family and a house full of animals. Passionate about video games, especially retro gaming, the Commodore 64 and PlayStation Vita. Love pro wrestling, sci-fi and I'm an animal lover and vegetarian. Enjoyed this and my other articles? Why not buy me a coffee: http://ko-fi.com/simonplumbe