New Bumblebee featurette shines its headlights on Laika’s Travis Knight

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

A new featurette for the TRANSFORMERS spinoff BUMBLEBEE has placed Travis Knight, the two-time Academy Award-nominated director/animator and lead animator at Laika Studios in the driver's seat. As the behind-the-scenes and interview footage plays on, we learn about Knight's inspiration for the upcoming film, and what drove him to take a "Spielbergian" approach to a franchise that for a number of years has been in desperate need of an oil change, so to speak. We also get to see Knight's hands-on approach to his work at Laika Studios, as well as a bit of the magic that went into crafting his 2016 directorial debut KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS.

Knight's BUMBLEBEE is set in the year 1987, when a fan-favorite autobot seeks refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. After some time, Bumblebee disvoers Charlie (Steinfeld), a young woman searching for her place in the world who isn't looking to make the journey alone. Naturally, the two become inseparable, and together they embark on an adventure unlike either of them had ever imagined.

BUMBLEBEE stars Hailee Steinfeld (TRUE GRIT) as Charlie, John Cena (BLOCKERS) as the good solider Agent Burns, and Pamela Aldon (BOB'S BURGERS, THE BIG BANG THEORY), amongst others.

Travis Knight and Paramount Pictures will present what is hoped to be a fresh and affecting take on the Transformers property this December 21st.