At last, Bumblebee will be a Volkswagen Beetle in Transformers spin-off movie

While Paramount’s ‘Transformers’ series has been a commercial juggernaut, taking a staggering $4.38 billion at the global box office thus far, the existing five films from Michael Bay haven’t always gone down too well with devotees of the Hasbro toy line and its associated mythology.

Bay’s original 2007 ‘Transformers’ immediately irked many fans thanks to the director’s decision to change lovable Autobot Bumblebee from his original form of a Volkswagen Beetle to the supposedly cooler-looking Chevrolet Camaro. (He also turned the evil Megatron from a gun to a jet, although that perhaps made more sense.)

If you were among those upset by this move, you will no doubt be pleased to learn that the upcoming ‘Bumblebee’ solo movie – a 1980s-set prequel, starring Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena – will at long last see the yellow Transformer take his classic VW form.

This much would appear to have been confirmed by an Instagram user who has been nearby the set of the in-production spin-off, from director Travis Knight:

With the film being set back in the days when the ‘Transformers’ were new on the scene, and a reversion to the character’s classic form, it seems reasonable to assume ‘Bumblebee’ might be even more of a nostalgia trip for older Transformers fans than the existing movies.

Even so, Bay has already suggested ‘Bumblebee’ may be more kid-friendly than his action heavy series entries, hinting Knight’s film will “go a little younger” and explaining the film “will deal more with [Bumblebee]’s character, and it’s just about him.”

A synopsis published by The Hollywood Reporter tells us the film is “set in the year 1987, where Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small California beach town. Charlie (Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary yellow VW bug.”

Joining Steinfeld and Cena are young actors Jorge Lendeborg, Jason Drucker, Abby Quinn, Rachel Crow, Ricardo Hoyos and Gracie Dzienny.

‘Bumblebee’ is scheduled to hit US screens on 21 December 2018; its UK release date has not been confirmed at present.

Read More:
James Cameron/Patty Jenkins row over Wonder Woman
Jared Leto insists he’s still The Joker
Matt Reeves clarifies comments on The Batman/DCEU