On the cusp of the international premiere of TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION, Paramount Pictures made the reveal that the sequel is being eyed for a 2016 release, one year sooner than previously expected. At the CineEurope event in Spain, Paramount International’s Edward Ryan revealed the slate for the studio over the next couple of years.
While 2015 already appears pretty loaded for Paramount with the release of THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER 3D, HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2, THE GAMBLER with Mark Wahlberg, TERMINATOR: GENESIS, Michael Bay‘s found footage PROJECT ALMANAC, FRIDAY THE 13TH 3D, and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5, it was what is coming the following year that raised eyebrows.
Many of these films were already rumored or announced to be in development, but now we have a better release range as Ryan revealed that 2016 will see the premieres of PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 5, STAR TREK 3, BEVERLY HILLS COP 4 with Eddie Murphy, Timur Bekmambetov‘s remake of BEN-HUR, the third G.I. JOE movie, HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS 2, and the sequel to TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION.
Ryan expects TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION to be the biggest film of the summer, something every studio honcho has said about their film this season. Whether it turns out to be true or not, I would fully anticipate that Paramount intends to follow through with Michael Bay‘s new trilogy, whether the man himself directs the next two films or not. We will find out for ourselves if the movie is worth the price of admission soon.
TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION hits theaters on June 27th.