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While the Transformers live action film franchise has had all of its films distributed by Paramount Pictures, we will see if that will continue to be the case going forward after the restructuring currently underway. In a press release (which you can read entirely below) it states that the head of Paramount Jim Gianopulos, will be replaced by Brian Robbins, who was the head of Nickelodeon. What's interesting is that soon after in the press release, when it describes what Brian Robbins will be doing as CEO, it only refers to films produced for Paramount+, the streaming service. While this is definitely stating that the Paramount wants a lot of effort concentrated on their streaming service, we don't know if that's all he will do.
Effective immediately, Jim Gianopulos, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, will transition oversight of Paramount to Brian Robbins, who has been appointed President and CEO of the studio in addition to maintaining his current responsibilities leading Nickelodeon.
Robbins will assume oversight of films produced for Paramount+ as well as continue to be responsible for kids and family content globally for the streaming service. Nevins and Clemens will also continue to serve in their current Paramount+ roles of Chief Content Officer, Scripted Originals, and President of Original Scripted Series, respectively.
While this will definitely cause some changes in the Transformers film releases going forward, it's unsure in which way. Would the films be Paramount+ exclusive? Would Hasbro simply cut ties since they have their own studio (EOne) now? We'll see. Here is the entire press release for those who want all the details.
ViacomCBS Announces Leadership Transition at Paramount Pictures
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC) (“ViacomCBS”) today announced a leadership change at Paramount Pictures. Effective immediately, Jim Gianopulos, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, will transition oversight of Paramount to Brian Robbins, who has been appointed President and CEO of the studio in addition to maintaining his current responsibilities leading Nickelodeon. Gianopulos will serve in an advisory role at Paramount through the end of the year to help ensure a smooth transition.
In addition, Paramount Television Studios (PTVS) will now become part of the premium network group under the leadership of David Nevins, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Showtime Networks, bringing together the divisions’ premium scripted content capabilities. Nicole Clemens will continue to lead PTVS in her capacity as President, PTVS, reporting directly to Nevins.
As part of this transition, and in line with ViacomCBS’s previously announced streaming content leadership structure, Robbins will assume oversight of films produced for Paramount+ as well as continue to be responsible for kids and family content globally for the streaming service. Nevins and Clemens will also continue to serve in their current Paramount+ roles of Chief Content Officer, Scripted Originals, and President of Original Scripted Series, respectively.
“Paramount is one of ViacomCBS’s crown jewels, delivering some of the most iconic moments in entertainment for more than a century. The moves we’re making today will build on Paramount’s strong momentum, ensuring it continues to engage audiences at scale while embracing viewers’ evolving tastes and habits,” said Bob Bakish, President and CEO of ViacomCBS. “A passionate storyteller who takes a holistic view of the entertainment ecosystem, Brian is an expert at building powerhouse global franchises by leaning into the unique strengths of new and established platforms – including theatrical releases, streaming, linear, consumer products and more. With Brian drawing on his extensive experiences across animation and live action, and David overseeing Paramount Television Studios, we will build on Paramount’s incredible legacy and chart a new path for the studio.”
Bakish continued, “Jim is a towering figure in Hollywood who has successfully led Paramount through an extraordinary period in the film industry. From the wild success of the A Quiet Place franchise to the Oscar-winning Rocketman to fan favorites like Sonic the Hedgehog and Mission: Impossible – Fallout, he has overseen the creation of films that have achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Jim for his leadership in establishing a revitalized Paramount.”
Said Gianopulos, “I’ve been privileged to be part of this amazing world of film and television for almost 40 years, and at the heart, it was always driven by two principal things: the brilliant talent of storytellers, whose visionary expression excelled in every medium and whom I did my best to empower, and a fantastic team of colleagues who helped me make that happen. I’ve been honored to help guide the evolution and massive expansion of creative content, from the birth of video to global TV access, to the launch of iTunes, to ubiquitous internet availability, and now the streaming revolution. The opportunity to take the reins at Paramount and revitalize it, build first-class executive and creative teams, and restore it to both profitability and creative success has been a source of pride. Brian has a long and successful career, and having worked closely with him, I know he and the team at Paramount will have great accomplishments in the future. I wish them all the very best success.”
“Jim is nothing less than legendary in this business, and I am humbled and grateful to him for his years of mentorship and friendship during our time working together,” said Robbins. “I am excited about the future for Paramount Pictures, and I want to thank Bob Bakish for the opportunity to use this incredibly powerful and broad canvas to produce films for every audience and deliver them in the ways today’s consumers want to experience them.”
As President of Nickelodeon since October 2018, Robbins has overseen culture-defining content and franchises at the number-one entertainment brand for kids with a proven ability to successfully engage theatrical, streaming and linear TV audiences by understanding the power of each platform. Franchises such as PAW Patrol and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reach hundreds of millions of young people around the world through TV shows, movies and consumer products, while SpongeBob SquarePants has become one of the most popular animated characters of all time.
Under Robbins’ leadership, Nickelodeon has become a powerful driver of subscribers and engagement at Paramount+ since its launch in March 2021. Programming for young audiences, such as PAW Patrol: The Movie and the series and films in the SpongeBob SquarePants universe, account for a double-digit share of total streams, and the platform’s slate includes numerous highly anticipated releases from the likes of Nickelodeon’s Avatar Studios.
Prior to his appointment at Nickelodeon, Robbins served as President of Paramount Pictures’ Paramount Players division, where he worked closely with legacy-Viacom brands to identify talent and properties to be developed into co-branded feature films. Previously, Robbins co-founded the multiplatform media company Awesomeness in 2012 and served as its CEO. He also co-founded Tollins/Robbins Productions and was the Founder and President of Varsity Pictures.
Robbins has executive produced numerous television and movie hits, including Kenan and Kel and All That, the latter of which Robbins adapted into the Nickelodeon feature film Good Burger; directed the Paramount films Varsity Blues and Hardball; executive produced Blue Mountain State for Spike TV (now Paramount Network); and also produced the television series Smallville and One Tree Hill, among others.
Robbins is the recipient of a Directors Guild Award, a Peabody Award and the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Pioneer Prize. He is also an Emmy Award nominee.
Gianopulos’s distinguished career in the global entertainment industry spans nearly 40 years. Gianopulos took the reins of the studio in April 2017, revitalizing the studio and restoring profitability consistently throughout his tenure.
During his time at Paramount, Gianopulos has been responsible for creating and restoring massively successful franchises including A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II, with more films in the works; Sonic the Hedgehog, with a sequel slated for release next year; Mission: Impossible – Fallout, the most profitable and critically-acclaimed film in the franchise, with the seventh and eight installments in production; the highly-anticipated Top Gun: Maverick; and Bumblebee, which marked a reinvigorated Transformers brand, returning the franchise to both profitability and critical acclaim. Additionally, Gianopulos rebuilt the popular Tom Clancy franchise across both film and television and was responsible for the award-winning 2018 hit Elton John biopic Rocketman.
During his tenure, Gianopulos built a first-class team of film and television executives, including his hiring of former Twentieth Century Studios chief executive Emma Watts to oversee the motion picture group, as well as bringing on seasoned marketing leaders, including Marc Weinstock and Mary Daily, and re-establishing Paramount Animation under the leadership of Mireille Soria, among other key roles. On the television side, Gianopulos built Paramount Television Studios, with Clemens at the helm, increasing output to more than 20 shows consistently in production and on the air. High-profile projects in production include The Offer, about the making of The Godfather, for Paramount+ and American Gigolo for Showtime.
Prior to joining Paramount, Gianopulos served as the Chairman and CEO of Fox Filmed Entertainment from 2000 to September 2016. In this role, he was responsible for feature film production, marketing, and global distribution of film and television content in all media. During his time as Chairman and CEO of Fox, the studio had its most profitable years ever, and in 2014, Twentieth Century Fox broke the all-time industry global box-office record, earning more than $5.5 billion. Gianopulos also has the distinction of having championed two of the biggest film successes in history, Titanic and Avatar.
Gianopulos chairs the Board of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, serves as Treasurer of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Board of Trustees, and is a member of the board of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and a trustee of the American Film Institute.
About ViacomCBS
ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, its portfolio includes CBS, Showtime Networks, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount+, Pluto TV and Simon & Schuster, among others. The company delivers the largest share of the U.S. television audience and boasts one of the industry’s most important and extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, ViacomCBS provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution, and advertising solutions for partners on five continents. For more information about ViacomCBS, please visit www.viacomcbs.com and follow @ViacomCBS on social platforms.
With there being buzz again for a new Transformers film, I thought of starting this ranking which will update through the years as more movies get added. This ranking consists of theatrically released Transformers films. Be sure to let us know your ranking too.
Ranking of the Transformers Films with Theatrical Releases
7. Transformers The last Knight
With the previous film steering things in the right direction by finally having the robots actually feel like characters and not just background noise, I was legitimately excited for this film. Megatron was coming back as well with the best design we had seen for him so far in the series and it looked like Optimus could finally be the prominent character in the film, especially based on the marketing. I mean, you look at this and Optimus is the last knight, right... RIGHT?!?!?!?!
Wrong!
The last knight is Mark Wahlberg. You wondering why? Well it's because he doesn't have sex a lot. They spend some minutes discussing that very thing. Oh and Optimus, the guy on the poster? Not in the film much. The last film ended with him setting off on an awesome revenge mission in space and this one opens with the film showing us that he wasn't really made for deep space flight. This film is a dud with the most uneven tone of the entire series. Like having some really raw and visceral medieval action intercut with Stanley Tucci being a clown as a drunk Merlin. Tone deaf, truly tone deaf. There's just so much wasted potential here. Evil Optimus? Lasts for just six minutes. Cool new Megatron? Not there much, plays second fiddle to Quintessa. Barricade returns? Taken out without Bee even needing to transform. Unicron is planet earth? Not gonna focus on that too much. Cog is called a headmaster? He never transforms into anything and is just a butler robot. The submarine is a Transformer? Never transforms. Bee can finally talk again? He does, after we were told that he still can't, and after his two second speech he goes back to the radio voice.
This doesn't feel like a Transformers movie in the least. It looks like one of the writers in the writer's room had an Arthurian legend descendants script in the works and the rest of the writers just added Transformers to it. This film is just a junk fest of scenes and random ideas put together, avoid it "no matter the cost".
6. Transformers Dark of the Moon
My issue with this film is that it is so damn boring. Like mind numbingly so. The Transformers hero characters are relegated to the background here, even in the fight scenes and they seem to have no agency. The Wreckers are there for 2 minutes of screen time and mostly in the background of those 2 minutes. This is not a joke. The montage scene of Sam looking for a random job lasts longer (it lasts for 4 minutes). And I absolutely hate how they have to write ridiculous reasons for Optimus not to join a battle (and thus save some money on CGI), like getting tied up with ropes. It just makes this huge blockbuster feel so cheap. Speaking of Optimus, any hint of that noble warrior is gone here and he's just a murderer. I get that he is beyond pissed off in Age of Extinction, which gives a reason for his overly rash behaviour, but we don't have that here. Just a murder machine who executes his mentor by shooting him in the head point blank. That particular scene does not make him look heroic in the least. And once again, Megatron plays second fiddle to another villain. Also, the studio insisting on Leonard Nimoy to say his famous Spock line in the context of villainy made me want to hurl. Although the "homage" to the Columbia shuttle tragedy is probably worse.
5. Transformers Revenge of the Fallen
One thing that pisses me off to no end with these films is the total disregard for the robot characters. The live action films treat the robots as just random characters we don't need to know much about and the constructicons are a great example of this. We see them in the beginning, they aren't introduced nor so they talk among themselves to establish anything. And then later in the film, we see Devastator, who you'd think would be made up of those constructicons. But he isn't. Instead, he is made up of construction vehicles lying around a pyramid which suddenly merge together into devastator. And during that time, you have the constructicons from the beginning fighting the Autobots. It's like the writers and filmmakers are going out of their way to show how little any of this means to them. The writing is beyond poor in this film with one of the key plot points being that only a Prime can defeat the Fallen, the villain of this film which Megatron plays second fiddle to. And while Optimus does beat him after getting some parts from Jetfire, I don't see why it had to be a prime and not just any other bot who was jacked up on extra parts.
And I hate how terribly cheap the film looks with its obvious cost cutting methods. There's an important scene where Optimus is resurrected and it's entirely obscured by a tarp.
All that said, there are some good things in this film. For one, Megatron's looks are a step up here in robot mode. I like how the tank treads incorporate into his feet and the asymmetry of his arms adds a real creepy factor. This look is the one that has remained the most iconic for Megatron's Bayverse tenure even though he changed look in every film. Also, that forest battle scene is pretty incredible. Not just because it is well done, but it lasts long enough for it to become this small pocket in the history of Bay films where the robots are the main characters. Sure Sam runs around, but he serves his purpose as indicating to the audience just how different Autobot and Decepticon ideologies are. In that scene, Sam is there not as a main character but just as a means to share more info about the robots to the audience, no matter how basic that info is (Auobot good, Decepticon bad). It's an awesome 3 minute scene that you can watch again and again on youtube with no need for what comes before or after and none of the films previously mentioned have something this good.
4. Transformers Age of Extinction
This film gets kudos for actually trying to fix major issues from the previous films. For one, the bots actually feel like characters with their own personality traits. Optimus is a full fledged character here, well at least as much as any of the human characters. Sure, it's the murder machine version of the character, but at least you know where he's coming from. All the Autobots get several lines of dialogue. I remember Protoman (a reviewer on youtube and a friend) reviewing the Drift figure and saying that the character probably wouldn't have more than two lines of dialogue in the film and this film proved him (and many others) wrong. Were they good lines? I'm not even going there, I am just happy these characters have lines. And speaking of the Autobots, they are colour coded this time around to make the action scenes easier to follow. And there are some pretty kick ass action scenes, be it Hound and Bumblebee's last stand, Optimus Against Galvatron, Optimus against Lockdown, the dinobot charge, flying around Chicago, Bee vs Stinger atop the robotic Pterasaur, lots of fun stuff. Plus the villains are good here. The bounty hunter Lockdown is rather threatening and I really liked Kelsey Grammer as an 80s type villain that is just obviously evil. We even get scenes of just the Transformers heroes talking and figuring things out with no human in sight. Crazy, I know!
3. Transformers (2007)
In comparison to the rest, there isn't much to say here other than I think it was a good first outing for a franchise branching out into a new era. Sure, the humans take centre stage for most of the film but it serves as an introduction to the brand and the new mythos of this interpretation. It does an ok job at what it's trying to do even though Bay's live action style was never something I was overly fond of, especially the idea that really cool stuff will be relegated to the background and that the Transformers are secondary characters with action told from a ground witness point of view. It was fine for a first film and that point of view even works well in that military desert scene vs Scorponok but I feel what worked for one film did not work for the entire franchise. And the CGI still holds up, which is quite an achievement and it shows just how cutting edge the film was when it first came out.
2. Transformers The Movie
This film is really special and I haven't cracked the code as to why it works so well for so many of us. I just know for a fact that it is extremely captivating to kids (Or those who watched it when they were kids). The drawings are gorgeous and the animation is good. It holds up very well and you can definitely tell that this is a movie rather than another episode of the show to the point where going back to the show will feel like a downgrade after seeing it. It also feels truly epic. You feel the stakes. I feel it does waver off a bit after Galvatron's initial attack with the remaining autobots, where three parties are split off into new worlds, but everything comes back together for a grand finale. The part of the writing that I find rather impressive is everything to do with Galvatron. It's not easy to bring about the idea of a different character also being a new version of an old character, and to do that without that becoming the main plot you are telling. Here, I feel they do it effortlessly. I love how Galvatron retains the memory of his previous self and is proud of his achievements, yet you see that this is a new persona at the same time. Just wonderful stuff all around.
1. Bumblebee
This may not be a revolutionary movie for most, but to me it proves that the Transformers franchise can truly inhabit the world of classic live action films without any mockery. The film itself is excellent for what it is, an Amblin film for today's generation of kids. It goes for the 80s aesthetic all the way by not only making it the setting, and giving the robots the more classic look and feel of that era, but also in giving us a film that feels a product of that era of film making and storytelling, like ET.
I love the world building etched into the dialogue. Like how Bee's sentencing by Blitzwing shows Megatron's ideals of "Peace through Tyranny". That first segment with Bee coming to Earth is just so beautifully done. That was originally how the film began in the script, when there was no Cybertron scene and while I think that Cybertron scene is all kinds of fun, I am really impressed at what Bee's arrival on Earth accomplishes in terms of storytelling and aesthetics for this new breed of live action Transformers films. They show us how Bumblebee scans and transforms and how that changes his own aesthetic through an action scene. Right after that it shows us just how bad the odds are against the autobots with the battle against Blitzwing. We see the advantage a flier has over a bot that can only transform into a car and and there are some nice shots contrasting their size, mirroring the larger war at hand. I love how Bumblebee goes to destroy his flight mechanism to ground him first. Plus how that fight finishes shows how the Autobots had to get crafty to survive and continue fighting.
We get some more awesome fight choreography at the end against Dropkick and Shatter, and the filmmaker even throws in a few moments of showing how a Transformers fight differs from other robots fighting, with using their transformation abilities as they fight. Plus you've got a great soundtrack and good human characters, and a solid performance from John Cena (who has BY FAR the best line in the film). I am just very happy this movie came out by the time I had kids (a boy and girl) since it's a great way to share this brand I love so much with them within the modern slew of entertainment. It's the Transformers film I can truly recommend to anyone and everyone.
Also from the room 29AB at San Diego Comic Con 2018, we're covering the Hasbro Transformers panel presentation, with all of the Hasbro brand team present . including Sean Carmine Isabella, John 'Hasbro' Warden, Ben Montano, and more. Keep refreshing this story as we post updates as they come in!
Publishing, Studios, Generations, Design - and BUMBLEBEE.
BUMBLEBEE MOVIE
Marketing team presenting the #JoinTheBuzz hashtag, promoting new material and products, from personal photos and selfies from the convention floor, and the products themselves:
Consumer products in 2018, from Monopoly to Jada, Herocross, Super Cyborg etc
New retro 80s game Bumblebee Overdrive mobile game (with Budge) - brief video shown in panel
PUBLISHING for Bumblebee, see IDW Publishing panel here.
Actual products being shown, as seen in the Breakfast event story - Energon Igniters, DJ Bumblebee and Power Charge Bumblebee.
Going back to the 19080s with a recollection of G1 cartoon series and toys series. Introducing...
Reissue Series - exclusive to Walmart, due out in Fall 2018 - in G1 packaging, featuring Devastator, Hot Rod, Mini Bots, Starscream.
Target exclusive Soundwave remold with Titan Master Doombox and Bumblebee Showcase Helmet.
GENERATIONS LINE
War for Cybertron: SIEGE
Decepticons as revolutionaries, and Autobots as counter faction, taking over Cybertron - gritty, intense, taking the G1 characters like Hound, Chromia, Prowl, and add lots of firepower.
Close work with Takara Tomy on the line, still quite one sided for the Autobots. For images, see the Siege story from Breaksfast event here!
Hound, weapons specialist, wielding Battle Master Lionizer.
Firedrive Battlemaster with voyager Optimus Prime.
Micromasters confirmed as two packs, weaponized accesories as combination, plus articulation: Battle Patrol, Race Patrol, Rescue Patrol.
Deluxe - Sideswipe.
Removing the gimmick element Prime Wars moved into paying attention to the characters, in terms of posability, articulation and more in the engineering, as the weaponising element of Micro and Battle Masters allow for playability.
COG - Weaponizer: partsforming
Wave 2- Ironhide and Chromia
Voyager Optimus Prime, weapon turns into shield, too
Leader class Ultra Magnus - White Prime cab with armor! RID 2001 inspired vehicle mode.
STUDIO SERIES
VW Bumblebee
Shadow Raidoe, TF3 Ratchet, KSI Sentry, Dropkick from Bumblebee Movie
CYBERVERSE
Writers room containing all fans from multiple areas of the franchise: Bumblebee has lost his memory, Windblade helping him recover, over 90 bots designed for the first season alone.
Designs worked closely with Sean Carmine Isabella for look that pays homage to oriignal animated series.
Toys: new classes with Action Attack feature across all line, Ultimate class can do gimmick in both modes.
New: Windblade, Acid Storm, Slipstream, Shadow Striker.
EXCLUSIVES
BUMBLEBEE vol 2 Retro Pop Highway
HALL OF FAME
Favourite Character - BLACKARACHNIA
Toy of the Year - ROADTRAO AND BATTLESLASH
Hall of Fame inductee 2018 - JOHN BARBER
Directly from IDW Publishing and post-embargo time, we can share with all the solicitations for the IDW Publishing comics in the Transformers and Hasbro Universe (with its one, collected Rom the Spaceknight book), both heading towards the close of their narrative life as we all know by now, with the Unicron series in full swing, and Lost Light and Optimus Prime hurtling towards the end - and plenty of tie-in books for the live action Bumblebee movie due in December.
Please be aware there may be some spoilers in the synopses below, and some hints in the covers, but other than that, take a look, and join the discussion in the Energon Pub discussion boards!
TRANSFORMERS
Transformers: Unicron #3 (of 6)—Cover A: Alex Milne—SPOTLIGHT
John Barber (w) • Alex Milne (a & c)
Unicron approaches Cybertron, so Windblade enacts a desperate plan—one neither Optimus Prime nor Starscream agree with! Has Windblade outmaneuvered Shockwave's machinations—or played right into his deadly hand?
FC • 32 pages • $4.99
Transformers: Unicron #3 (of 6)—Cover B: James Raiz—SPOTLIGHT
John Barber (w) • Alex Milne (a) • James Raiz (c)
FC • 32 pages • $4.99
Bullet points:
Variant covers by Nick Roche, and Francesco Francavilla!
Transformers: Unicron #4 (of 6)—Cover A: Alex Milne—SPOTLIGHT
John Barber (w) • Alex Milne (a & c)
Unicron sets his sights on Earth... but is anyone left to defend it?
FC • 32 pages • $4.99
Transformers: Unicron #4 (of 6)—Cover B: James Raiz—SPOTLIGHT
John Barber (w) • Alex Milne (a) • James Raiz (c)
FC • 32 pages • $4.99
Bullet points:
The destruction continues! We’re halfway to the end and Unicron is winning. Will Optimus and his allies be able to save anything?!
Connecting B covers by James Raiz featuring destruction at the hands of Unicron!
Covers by fan-favorite Transformers artists of the past decade!
Variant covers by Guido Guidi and Francisco Francavilla!
Optimus Prime #23—Cover A: Kei Zama—SPOTLIGHT
John Barber (w) • Priscilla Tramontano (a) • Kei Zama (c)
The battle against Unicron forces Optimus Prime's colonist soldiers to contend with a brutal reality—they have no homes to return to. But when they make a move against Trypticon, the human-controlled home of the next generation of Cybertronians... can the end be far behind?
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Optimus Prime #23—Cover B: Priscilla Tramontano—SPOTLIGHT
John Barber (w) • Priscilla Tramontano (a & c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
Tie-in to the Unicron event!
Part of the summer of Transformers—all building up to the end of the universe as we know it!
Variant cover by Kei Zama!
Transformers: Lost Light #23—Cover A: Jack Lawrence—SPOTLIGHT
James Roberts (w) • Jack Lawrence (a & c)
The final battle is here! Bots will live, bots will die, and the craziness can only increase! We’re halfway through a finale six years in the making! And if you’ve ever loved a bot, you won’t want to miss this.
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Transformers: Lost Light #23—Cover B: Geoff Senior—SPOTLIGHT
James Roberts (w) • Jack Lawrence (a) • Geoff Senior (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
Lost Light’s grand finale kicks into high gear!
Bringing the story to a close at long last—and everyone’s involved!
Don’t miss the B cover by beloved Transformers artist Geoff Senior!
Variant cover by Geoff Senior!
Transformers: Lost Light, Vol. 3
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne, Brendan Cahill, Jack Lawrence (a) • Jack Lawrence (c)
Crammed into a dead Decepticon astropod that's 10 sizes too small, the displaced crew of the Lost Light faces their most serious threat yet: each other. No worries though, Rodimus can save the day! Or maybe they’ll all die... Plus, the Scavengers have never had it so good. The war is a receding memory, their patchy service records have been forgotten, and the five of them can roam the galaxy as they please. All's well that ends well? Not quite. Collects issues #13–18.
TPB • FC • $19.99 • 144 pages • ISBN: 978-1-68405-331-5
Bullet points:
Advance solicited for September release!
Winner of the Comixology Award for Best Ongoing Comic Series of 2017 as well as Best Writer for James Roberts!
Offered Again!
Transformers Lost Light, Vol. 1 • FC • $19.99 • ISBN: 978-1-63140-992-9
Transformers Lost Light, Vol. 2 • FC • $19.99 • ISBN: 978-1-68405-148-9
Live action Bumblebee movie
Transformers: Bumblebee—Win If You Dare
James Asmus (w) • Marcelo Ferreira (a) • Nicoletta Baldari (c)
Life can feel rough when you aren't the fastest, or the bravest, or the tallest Autobot, and Bumblebee's feeling the pressure. When he’s hurt, Bumblebee takes it upon himself to prove his worth to his fellow Autobots. Things get tense as 'Bee and his new human companion race into action hunting down dangerous foes and a devastating device. It's ready, set, go in this new exciting '80s adventure packed filled with laughs and thrills!
TPB • FC • $9.99 • 72 pages • 6” x 9” • ISBN: 978-1-68405-227-1
Bullet points:
Advance solicited for September release!
The first Bumblebee original graphic novel!
Bumblebee: The Movie premieres in theaters December 21st, 2018.
no image given
Transformers: Bumblebee Movie Prequel #3 (of 4)—Cover A: Andrew Griffith
John Barber (w) • Andrew Griffith (a & c)
Energon is Forever. It's war in the streets of swinging 1960s London, baby—and it’s freaking Bumblebee out! The Decepticon scheme to lure the world's top espionage organizations into war shifts into high gear—so Bee and his super-spy friends call in some international help!
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Transformers: Bumblebee Movie Prequel #3 (of 4)—Cover B: Fico Ossio
John Barber (w) • Andrew Griffith (a)• Fico Ossio (c)
FC • 32 pages • $3.99
Bullet points:
The prequel to the new Bumblebee film (coming this winter), geared toward a younger audience!
Sometimes serious, sometimes campy action spy adventure for fans of James Bond or Mission Impossible!
Black and white variant cover by Andrew Griffith!
HASBRO Universe
Rom: Cold Fire, Hot War
Chris Ryall & Christos Gage (w) • David Messina, Ron Joseph, Paolo Villanelli (a) Loston Wallace (c)
The evil Dire Wraiths have escaped to Earth but are hounded by a Knight of the Solstar Order, the one feared more than all others. He is Rom, the Wraith-slayer. Rom, the Spaceknight!
Having followed the Dire Wraiths across the galaxy to Earth, Rom finds they have infiltrated all levels of society, hiding in plain sight. Replacing many humans in key leadership positions, the Wraiths’ plan to dominate the planet—and everyone in it—is gaining momentum. But Rom finds resistance from the humans as well, who fear he is just another alien invader. He is joined in the battle by two other Solstar Knights… but are they here as friends or foes?
Collects all 14 issues of the series, the 2017 Annual, and the Rom: Revolution one-shot.
TPB • FC • $29.99 • 312 pages • ISBN: 978-1-68405-278-3
It's been a very long while since we heard anything about Paramount's shared live-action cinematic universe - which would expand the mythology surrounding Transformers to other franchises, much like is currently happening in IDW comics (since Revolution and more recently First Strike) - but we now have something happening on the horizon.
According to entertainment online outlet Deadline, 2020 will see the arrival of the third instalment of the GI Joe series, after Rise of Cobra and Retaliation, and the first feature for Micronauts, with a third unnamed project for the following year. You can read the news in detail below, and join the discussion in the Energon Pub - what do you make of this potential, eventual converging and merging of the various franchises? Will you give the new movies a shot?
The long-awaited third G.I. Joe will march into multiplexes on March 27, 2020. Lorenzo di Bonaventura produced the last two movies G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra and G.I. Joe: Retaliation based off the Hasbro toyline/Marvel published Comic-Book which both grossed in total over $678M at the global box office.
The feature adaptation of late ’70s Mego/Takara toys spaceman line Micronauts will blast off on Oct. 16, 2020. The toyline was centered around robotic/human future men, and the playsets were elaborate with various easy-to-assemble parts.
Currently for 2020, both G.I. Joe and Micronauts are the only titles scheduled on their respective release dates.
Dungeons & Dragons will open on July 23, 2021. New Line made a go at a feature version of the popular 1970s/1980s role-playing game 17 years ago making only $33.8M. There was also a Saturday morning CBS animated TV series which ran for 27 episodes from 1983-1985. Currently, it’s the only title on the calendar on that date.
An untitled Hasbro film has also reserved Oct. 1, 2021 on the calendar. No other titles on that date.
Paramount Pictures and Hasbro to Produce and Distribute Live Action and Animated Content Under Five Year Exclusive Relationship
November 03, 2017 08:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time
HOLLYWOOD--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Paramount Pictures and Hasbro, Inc. today announced that they will be teaming up to produce and distribute content based on Hasbro brands, as well as original stories. The two companies will collaborate on live action and animated films, with Hasbro’s Allspark Pictures and Allspark Animation playing an active role alongside Paramount Pictures in development and production.
This announcement expands upon an existing relationship between the two companies. Hasbro and Paramount have partnered on five Transformers movies to date, as well as two G.I. Joe films, and the first Transformers spinoff, Bumblebee, is slated for December 2018.
"Paramount has been a valuable partner of Hasbro’s for more than a decade, and we’re looking forward to taking our relationship to the next level," said Brian Goldner, Chairman and CEO, Hasbro. "Storytelling, in its many forms, is revolutionizing our business and differentiating Hasbro in all sectors where we operate. We look forward to collaborating with the talented team at Paramount to create powerful new stories for kids, fans and families globally."
While terms of the relationship are not being disclosed, Paramount and Hasbro will partner on financing projects at varying levels of investment, and Paramount will distribute the projects produced during the five year term of this deal worldwide. Paramount and Hasbro will also collaborate on television programming.
"Hasbro has an enormous array of exceptional brands, so this expansion of our relationship is incredibly exciting," said Paramount Pictures Chairman and CEO, Jim Gianopulos. "We look forward to working with Brian Goldner and Stephen Davis and the Hasbro and Allspark teams to create extraordinary film properties for all audiences."
Hasbro recently hired Greg Mooradian as president of Allspark Pictures, with responsibility for live action film and television. Allspark Animation, the company’s label for animated film and television content, is led by Hasbro’s Meghan McCarthy. Hasbro acquired Boulder Media in 2016, a leading animation studio based in Dublin, Ireland, to produce its television and film animation. Hasbro Studios, its distribution arm which the company founded in 2009, distributes TV and digital content to more than 190 territories globally. The entertainment division reports to Hasbro’s Chief Content Officer, Stephen Davis.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Television, Paramount Players, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.
About Hasbro
Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global play and entertainment company committed to Creating the World's Best Play Experiences. From toys and games to television, movies, digital gaming and consumer products, Hasbro offers a variety of ways for audiences to experience its iconic brands, including NERF, MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS, PLAY-DOH, MONOPOLY, LITTLEST PET SHOP and MAGIC: THE GATHERING, as well as premier partner brands. Through Hasbro Studios and its film labels, Allspark Pictures and Allspark Animation, the Company is building its brands globally through great storytelling and content on all screens. Hasbro is committed to making the world a better place for children and their families through corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. Hasbro ranked No. 1 on the 2017 100 Best Corporate Citizens list by CR Magazine, and has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere Institute for the past six years. Learn more at http://www.hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro & @HasbroNews) and Instagram (@Hasbro).
Thanks to a tip from fellow Seibertronian Shayaun, we have confirmation that the San Diego Comic Con exclusive Hasbro Transformers sets are currently available on HasbroToyShop.com! We were initially told these would be available mid-month, but it seems they were released slightly earlier - so if you're in for a Shreddicus Maximus, a Voyager The Last Knight Optimus Prime, or an IDW Revolution boxset, featuring Micronauts, Visionaries, Jetfire, MASK, and GI Joe, head here to purchase yours!
UPDATE: Since writing this story, the links have been updated to confirm the actual availability to be the aforementioned 14th August.
We know there are all these delicious leaks around, but for those still wanting to see more of the fun that was had at SDCC2017 and could not make it, well Seibertron.com has now uploaded plenty of videos from the event. As previously shown, you can see the Hasbro Brand panel in full but other panels as well, such as the one for the My Little Pony film and one for Revolutions. We also have videos of all the Transformers toys found on the showfloor, so you can take in the displays as if you were there. This also includes licensed products like that gorgeous Beast Wars Megatron. The video helps you see how huge it is. Plus, check out the fun video of Transformers The Last Knight BARRICADE cruising the streets at San Diego Comic-Con.
Transformers Power of the Primes product reveals at SDCC 2017
Transformers product reveals from Hasbro's Brand Preview Event at SDCC 2017
Transformers Robots In Disguise Combiner Force toy products shown at SDCC 2017
Transformers Titans Return toy products shown at SDCC 2017
Transformers The Last Knight toy products from Hasbro at SDCC 2017
Officially Licensed Transformers products shown at SDCC 2017
Transformers Masterpiece Movie Optimus Prime and Bumblebee from Hasbro
Masterpiece Bumblebee transforming display at IDW's San Diego Comic Art Gallery
Transformers The Last Knight BARRICADE cruising the streets at San Diego Comic-Con 2017
My Little Pony The Movie and Equestria Girls products shown at SDCC 2017
My Little Pony The Movie Panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2017
IDW Hasbro Revolutionaries Panel featuring Transformers, GI Joe, MASK, Visionaries and more
Hasbro's Transformers Brand Panel featuring Power of the Primes and the Last Knight
The Transformers: The Last Knight marketting campaign is taking a fun turn focusing on the historical implications of Transformers existing alongside humans at pivotal moments. We had a poster based on their appearance throughout history yesterday and today, the official Transformers Twitter feed gave us 5 images of Transformers found throughout history on different mediums, like in world war two, the middle ages and even the American revolution. Enjoy!
Since posting a very small news story in the Comics section - about the role of ROM the Spaceknight in IDW's REVOLUTION crossover event - we've been mulling over this piece from Forbes, in which the author links the new The Last Knight font with ROM's traditional one in the Marvel comics.
Several Seibertronians have thrown around a comment about ROM being the titular Last Knight in jest, but thinking about it - is it not possible that this is indeed the beginning of the wider Hasbro universe? Why the sudden change in fonts? Why does Galvatron/Megatron look like a Dire Wraith - ROM's main antagonists in the comics - made out of metal?
While we're at it, compare the tagline in the image below, with the one used for the Morse code teaser, 'Something Wicked This Way Comes'. And remember the creators?
As the author of the Forbes piece says, there are some parallels in the visual - but is that where it stops? According to Chris Ryall, definitely maybe. Check out more below, and rev your speculation engines in the Energon Pub!
As I said before: “we know Hasbro has movie plans for Rom, the old Parker Brothers toy that was one of the first action figures to include electronic lights and sounds. He’s slated to be part of a shared cinematic universe that will also include the Micronauts, G.I. Joe, M.A.S.K., and the Visionaries. It was assumed that Transformers would stay out of it, having previously announced plans for a spin-off universe of their own, and generally not needing the help. Even Age of Extinction, the lowest-grossing Transformers movie domestically (besides the animated one from the ’80s), raked in $1.1 billion worldwide, while the last G.I. Joe movie pulled in a ‘mere’ $375 million internationally. And yet: isn’t that how Marvel launched their cinematic universe? Using the popular character to segue into the riskier ones?”
Even if Rom isn’t happening, his iconography is being used. And as Rom is the least-known to the casual toy collector – aside from some convention exclusives, he hasn’t had a proper action figure of his own in decades – he is the one who needs the biggest push.
It’s time to transform him for the modern world…and roll out.
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