Hmm, interesting.

 

Now I think I understand (a little bit) about Bumblebee "not a reboot" and "a new story telling". It's a whole different series, different universe than a Bayverse. A new universe can go on from there without have to be connected from Bayverse. Bumblebee could be a reset button that could retcon itself from Bayverse, and it's all depends on the scripts for the future installments.

 

Pffffffffff. Foooooppppppppwwwwwww. Okay.

 

This guy needs to leave this franchise, he's truly running it to the ground

 

"In other words, neither a reboot nor a remake. It is a story before [2007] starts. So you can fill in the blank time from 1987 to the first Transformers movie."

It's a story set before 2007? It's not a reboot? Lorenzo just said that it was a reboot, a new storytelling universe... it was like a few days ago... Does he not remember what he says? Lorenzo just talks absolute trash, so I don't believe anything he says but why can't be stop talking?!?! It's like he's making everything up as he goes along... Which he IS doing anyway.

They need to come out with an official statement. We know it's a reboot, but Paramount and Hasbro need to say it! This man is killing the franchise just because he can't shut his mouth.

 

Huh. Bumblebee is an alternate timeline? the Sixth movie IS being done? I wish they stated all this beforehand because thinking that Bumblebee was a soft reboot with no TLK sequel for so long really killed any interest I had with the movies...Ah well. Things happen.

 

From his words, looks like he wants to playing it safe. Now he makes the franchise relies on the script. Bumblebee could lead to Bayverse or not, depends on the script. TLK could have a sequel or not, depends on the script (because he just said that he doesn't like Unicron). Optimus solo movie is happening or not? Again, depends on the script.


So, tldr: this guy just can't really move on from Bayverse, while Bayverse is already dead after TLK.

 

You know what I find stupid? Lorenzo says that Unicron is too big to fight, so he doesn't want Unicron to appear in another movie... But then why did they set him up in TLK?!

 

This man makes me very tired. He's soooo self important, with his "I'm going to... I want to... I will...."
Put a sock in it already, dude.

 

Honestly, don't even bother paying attention to anything Di Bonaventura says at this point. He either has no idea what's actually going on, or he's blatantly lying for some reason.

 

Looks like they're gonna nerf Unicron as a jaeger sized transformers with no dialogues just to "Smash! Grrr! Smash!". I guarantee it.

 

I wish Hasbro would grow a pair and shut this dude up and tell us what’s really going on. At this point it’s just embarrassing.

 

Fuck me. He is "learning stuff" that many have barked about since DOTM or eariler. This is his job, he should be the master of his trade not a bumbling mess.

After Quintessa, when it comes time to fighting Unicron, he will probably take the form of some young over-powered evil kid.

 

WTF does neither a reboot or prequel mean? He didn't even answer the question, he is determined to not say it is a remake or a prequel.

 

Nobody:...
Lorenzo: HERE ARE MY OPINIONS ON THE MOVIES THAT EVERYONE LOVES TO HEAR!!!!

 

This is an unbelievable quote. Over one hundred years of cinema history, and a producer has only just learned apparently that audiences react to emotional engagement and don’t need to see something blow up every five minutes.

 

Is this the third, fourth, time he's gone back and forth on this?
I can understand wanting to get everything down pat but I don't understand the reason for keeping Bayverse alive if it nearly bankrupted your studio, especially when you have the makings of a critically and financially successful franchise in BB.
They should not even begin to consider TF6, and the fact that they are is super concerning to me. I agree with the statement that Knight needs to be pursued as much if not more than Bay was during the first 5 movies. They need to embrace BB as a reboot partly to cleanse the palate of the general public and TF fans alike when it comes to the movies.
"W-well maybe if we can do BB right we can do TF6 right" does not work simply because that the timeline TF6 takes place in is a poisoned well critically and financially. They began seeing the decline as they churned out movie after movie, and when China abandoned TF5 that should have been the final nail in the coffin, and I was hoping it was. Hell, even BB felt the sting of the poisoned well domestically!
They stuck with Bay for far too long and now are in a bad position because of his name having been etched into the general public's minds for this franchise.

My unqualified advice to Paramount is this:
This next movie needs to embrace the rebooted franchise that BB allows for and go hard with it; don't hire Bay to direct and make sure you make whoever you do get as director (hopefully Knight) you need to SAY IT STRONGLY: "Directed By X!" You need to make that a big part of the marketing. I'm not asking you to throw Bay under the bus and literally say "not directed by Michael Bay", you just need to make it clear that this is a different person.

I cannot comment on Michael Bay's personality or whatever because I don't know him, and I'm not entirely sure he was the problem with the first 5 movies anymore but he was the one who got the blame and stigma attached to him.

Also I'd probably combine the Optimus Prime and prequel movie ideas into one?

 

"In fact it is a spin off" - Remember we had these big polls, arguing if it's a reboot or prequel, even before it came out and I said "Spinoff"? Friggin' called it!

Very interesting interview. Every question was the most on point it could be. And Lorenzo, for once, felt a bit more coherent. You can tell though, by his permanent use of first person singular, that he considers live action Transformers his baby and his alone. That's fairly worrying to me.

But what's even more worrying is that, out of 35+ years of source material they have to pick ideas from, he seems to struggle to find a story to tell and kinda seems hyped for an Optimus/Bumblebee buddy movie, which might be one of the least creative things I've ever heard anyone come up with. On the other hand, I guess it's commendable that he finally seems to (or has been forced to) prioritize good singular movies, script and character to cinematic universes or whatever... Who knew story, character, coherence and emotion were important to human beings?!?! Took him a decade to figure out.... But, I worry that it's going to end up all over the place, with completely contradicting aesthetics, lore, characterizations and timelines between each and every thing they do.

So, final impression, is that he feels kind of out of his depth. And I feel a bit nervous about the future.