With Michael Bay’s run of TRANSFORMERS movies presumably in the rear view, it’s time for fans of the robots in disguise to buckle up, keep their eyes on the road, and enjoy the cool and refreshing breeze that looks to be director Travis Knight’s BUMBLEBEE. The upcoming feature finds the fan-favorite VW Beetle on the run in the year 1987. While seeking refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. After applying some good old fashioned elbow grease, Charlie gets Bumblebee up and running again. Before long, the two form an unlikely bond before being thrust into a run for their lives from a group of Decepticon hunters.
Our own Paul Shirey was lucky enough to attend Universal's panel for BUMBLEBEE this evening at San Diego Comic-Con, and he's been tweeting out news and reactions to all the latest details about the upcoming film.
The panel began with a performance by Stan Bush of his 1987 hit "You've Got the Touch" from TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE:
Next, director Travis Knight took to the stage to talk about the film.
Knight then confirmed that yes, we will be visiting Cybertron at some point in the movie."It is awesome," Knight added.
Hailee Steinfeld and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. then took to the stage.
Oh, cool! Knight's version of the Decepticons are "triple changers," meaning that they can transform into more than one vehicle, of course.
Oh … oh my. I'm not sure how you all are going to react to this next bit of info. As a matter of fact, I think I'll let Paul be the bearer of bad news. Mwuahaha!
Yeah, sorry folks, no Starscream this time around. Personally, I'm still holding out hope for Soundwave to be mentioned, though I won't be holding my breath. However, who's to say that the movie doesn't do exceedingly well, resulting in Knight being asked to helm a sequel? Maybe then Starscream will be a part of the action? My fingers are officially crossed.
To cap off the BUMBLEBEE showcase, Paramount treated fans to an extended trailer and sizzle reel with clips for the upcoming film.
Of course, no panel would be complete without some burning questions from the audience.
Shortly thereafter, Peter Cullen took to the stage and began answering questions while using his Optimus Prime voice!
Among other departures from Bay’s sputtering cinematic run featuring Hasbro’s pride and joy, Knight aims to present his Transformer characters with more personality than what's been offered in the past. Furthermore, BUMBLEBEE looks to be minimizing the rock-em-sock-em and explosion overload nature of previous films in the TRANSFORMERS franchise with the interest of depicting a more personal and heartfelt journey. In the lead up to the film, many have made comparisons between BUMBLEBEE and Brad Bird’s underappreciated cult animated classic, THE IRON GIANT. Provided that both films share even a few similarities, we could be gearing up for a reboot that helps put the TRANSFORMERS brand back on the road to success.
With a screenplay written by Christina Hodson, BUMBLEBEE will star Hailee Steinfeld, Pamela Adlon, Justin Theroux, John Cena, Angela Bassett and Peter Cullen as the voice of Optimus Prime. Let us know if you're excited for this bold new direction that the TRANSFORMERS franchise is set to embark upon in the comments section below.
BUMBLEBEE will buzz into theaters on December 21st.