A shocking update about the franchise proves that the live-action movies are struggling to start a new era. After several successful animated shows were released in the 1980s and 90s, the franchise has become more popular than ever due to the live-action Transformers movies, which began back in 2007.
This renewed interest in the franchise was largely thanks to Michael Bay, who directed the first five live-action Transformers films. However, after 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight was a critical and commercial disappointment, Bay stepped down as director. Ever since, Paramount has been trying to usher in a new era of the franchise.
However, it was recently announced that Michael Bay is making a new Transformers movie. While not many details are known about Bay's upcoming film, this surprising update could complicate the Transformers timeline even more. This update also confirms that .
After The Last Knight, which earned $602 million at the worldwide box office (via The Numbers), it seemed like it was best for the Transformers franchise to move away from Bay. While , the franchise has tried to pave a new path forward.
| Every Transformers Movie | Worldwide Box Office | RT Critics Score |
|---|---|---|
| The Transformers: The Movie (1986) | $5,849,647 | 62% |
| Transformers (2007) | $708,272,592 | 57% |
| Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) | $836,519,699 | 19% |
| Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) | $1,123,794,079 | 35% |
| Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014) | $1,104,054,072 | 18% |
| Transformers: The Last Knight (2017) | $602,893,340 | 16% |
| Bumblebee (2018) | $464,731,819 | 91% |
| Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023) | $439,241,749 | 51% |
| Transformers One (2024) | $128,317,666 | 89% |
Unfortunately, as seen in the table above, . These two movies tried to separate themselves from Bay's films by establishing a new timeline, but this has made the whole franchise very confusing and hard to follow for audiences.
Since Paramount never committed to a complete reboot after the Bay era, . By remaining somewhat connected, they don't appease fans who didn't like Bay's movies, but also don't fully satisfy those who have wanted the director back for years. Therefore, it's been clear for a while that Paramount needs to rethink its strategy for the Transformers franchise.
Now that Bay is set to return to the Transformers franchise, it's possible that the director will lead it back to box office glory. After all, . Therefore, bringing Bay back may have been the best option for Paramount.
Related
The Real Transformers Have Only Appeared For 2 Minutes In The $5.2 Billion Franchise After 7 Live-Action Movies
Despite seven live-action movies that earned over $5 billion at the box office, the true Transformers have only appeared for a matter of minutes.
However, it needs to be noted that, according to the report, . This detail proves that this option wasn't necessarily on Paramount's radar, even though it will likely earn the studio a good chunk of money.
Bay's 2022 film Ambulance underperformed at the box office and his 2019 Netflix movie 6 Underground was bashed by critics. Therefore, it's clear that Bay's career hasn't necessarily been thriving since Transformers: The Last Knight. Therefore, .
It would be unfair to claim that Paramount has completely mishandled the franchise since Bay's departure. , making it even more disappointing that it won't get a sequel. Additionally, there is some hype for the upcoming Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover movie, which was teased at the end of Rise of the Beasts.
It's possible that Bay's upcoming Transformers movie will make $1 billion, echoing the success of his earlier films in the franchise.
However, despite the studio's best efforts, . Since his movies have generated huge numbers before, Bay could be the one to finally return the franchise to box office glory.
Obviously, there was some Bayverse fatigue by the time The Last Knight was released, which is exactly why it underperformed. However, . Therefore, it's possible that Bay's upcoming Transformers movie will make $1 billion, echoing the success of his earlier films in the franchise.
Bay's upcoming movie is not the only Transformers film that is in development. and could be released as early as next year. Therefore, there is clearly a lot to be excited about in the Transformers franchise.
Even though audiences didn't necessarily rush to theaters to see Rise of the Beasts, . Not many details are known about the movie, but it is bound to be an extremely entertaining action film which will feature some fan-favorite characters.
This crossover movie and Bay's upcoming film could both be huge successes for Paramount and finally return the Transformers franchise to its former glory. After these promising movies, it's likely that Paramount will want to make several more films in the franchise. Therefore, eight years after The Last Knight, hopefully it's finally time for an exciting new era for the Transformers franchise to begin.
