I'm glad to hear all of this. Some sort of larger crossover might be interesting later down the road, but right now they need to focus on telling great Transformers stories. Jumping too soon into a cinematic universe is a mistake too many franchises have already made.

I'm also glad to hear all the upcoming Transformers movies seem to be connected. Not that they need to be, but it helps keep things streamlined. I've never believed Dealine's statement about the Cybertron movie being a separate timeline, and I'm glad that's sounding more and more unlikely. People loved Bumblebee's Cybertron opening, it would only make sense to connect the Cybertron film to that. Not to mention we don't need yet another new Cybertron-set continuity after getting the Netflix show.

And I'm glad the Optimus movie still seems to be a possibility. I think there's a lot of potential there.

Finally, I'm glad to hear they're wanting diversity in tone and style. That's a good way to keep things fresh and give audiences new experiences with each film.

 

There doesn't have to be a big crossover per se.

Hopefully with the Snake Eyes film as well, they're also giving other brands a chance to grow and shine again for this potential HasbroVerse.

 

I love the idea of different tones spread throughout a singular continuity. It keeps things fresh while still continuing the story. While I'm overall not a fan of "grittiness" in Transformers, I trust that it will be handled well given the director's evident passion for the project.

One of my biggest questions moving forward is how they will utilize robot casts in the "solo" projects. For instance, we know that the 2022 film will have a larger robot cast and be an "ensemble" of sorts but what about after that? Is Soto's film going to focus on a few Transformers like Bumblebee or will it be another team movie? I'm sure we won't get those answers soon but it is exciting that Paramount seems to be dedicated to crafting a solid storytelling universe.

 

Do you know when we can expect more news?

 

I've heard a couple of names of people who have met with Paramount. I'd rather not start throwing around names, though. That's getting a bit dangerous (in the sense of setting expectations and trying to keep this stuff low-key).

I wouldn't expect any massive, big-name directors to be attached to a project soon, though. Paramount is more interested in up-and-comers (many of whom are young enough to have grown up on the franchise).

Nope. Once we get into the summer and filming starts, some more concrete info about the 2022 movie should start trickling out.

Do note that last week, Paramount shifted a TON of their release dates... but not the 2022 TF movie. As of now it is still on track for next year summer.

 

Don't focus too much on me saying it would be "grittier" than BB and next year's movie. I still think the tone will be more light-hearted than the last few Bay movies. The direction in general is to keep things a little closer to the BB feel, though there is wiggle room. Some stories will be a little grimmer, some a little lighter. It'll be a long time before you see a TF movie with the self-seriousness of a Snyder DC movie, for example.

 

I'm fine with grittiness as long as it's fun and in the spirit of the brand. I think stuff like Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars (especially ESB) are examples of movies that have an edge and grit to them, but are still fantastic adventure romps with great moments of humor. I just wouldn't want them to go too self-serious. But according to MacFormer, it doesn't sound like that's the route they're going.

 

I could see his taking on a cloak-dagger/espionage angle.

 

One thing I’m a bit worried about is that we might not get a lot of transformers scenes because budget is only about $50 million.

 

That could always fluctuate. Bumblebee's budget started out at $80 million but ended up around $130 million. It might even get a boost depending on how well the next Transformers films perform at the box office.