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'Transformers' Spinoff 'Bumblebee' Finds Director in 'Kubo and the Two Strings' Helmer

Bumblebee
(Photo: Paramount)

Travis Knight is moving on from stop animation to try his hand at live action as the Laika CEO has been tapped to direct the Transformers spinoff Bumblebee.

The pic would mark his live-action directing debut after helming the Oscar-nominated Kubo and the Two Strings for Laika last year. Paramount was clearly eyeing someone with an animated background as execs also met with Lego Batman director Chris McKay.

Paramount had no comment.

While plot details are still unknown, the story will focus on the popular character who has appeared in all of Michael Bay’s Transformers films.

Bay, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and Steven Spielberg are producing. Christina Hudson penned the script after joining the Transformers writers’ room last year, where the studio began fleshing out ideas for other movies contained in the Transformers universe, but not necessarily set along the franchise timeline.

Knight, who is the son of Nike CEO Phil Knight, has helped create a force in the animation world with his Laika Studios, which delivered such classic stop-animation pics such as Kubo and the Two Strings, ParaNorman The Boxtrolls, and Coraline.

He is repped by CAA. Deadline Hollywood first reported the news.

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