Up-and-coming actor Anthony Ramos is said to be in final negotiations to lead Paramount and Hasbro's new Transformers movie.
According to Deadline, Ramos is closing in on a deal to be at the front of the standalone project from Charm City Kings helmer Angel Manuel Soto. The new Transformers film is set to be directed by Steven Caple Jr. (Creed II, The Land) and will be completely different than other films in the franchise.
Last January, the decision was made to buff out the Transformers franchise by putting two films into development at the same time: one by James Vanderbilt and one by Joby Harold. Harold's script was then chosen by the studio and put on the fast-track. Caple was hired shortly thereafter.
Soon it will come time for Ramos to test with his female co-star, though Caple is confident in the actor's ability to gel with just about anyone. According to sources close to the test meetings, Kiki Layne (The Old Guard, Coming 2 America) and Dominique Fishback (Project Power, Judas and the Black Messiah) are strong contenders to star opposite Ramos in the Transformers project.
Ramos began making a name for himself after becoming an original cast member of Hamilton. He then starred in Bradley Cooper's remake show-stopper drama A Star is Born. He's also set to star in the highly-anticipated adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights opposite Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine).