Michael Bay is returning to theTransformersfranchise, and it’s going to determine the future of the series. Bay is the filmmaker who kicked off thelive-actionTransformersmovie series, directing the first film in 2007 all the way through the fifth,The Last Knight, in 2017.
The franchise saw massive box office returns under Bay’s oversight, but little critical acclaim. Starting with theBumblebeeprequel in 2018,the series pivoted to live-action movies that were more accurate to the classicTransformersmedia, something that was continued with 2023’sRise of the Beasts. New filmmakers directed these projects, but without Bay, the franchise began to dwindle financially.
In June, it was announced thatBay will be returning to direct his sixthTransformersmovie. According to reports, Bay was the one who sought a return to the series and pitched an idea to Paramount. The film will be written by Jordan VanDina, but it isn’t known if it is a sequel toThe Last Knight, a continuation of the new timeline, or a reboot.
Michael Bay Will Either Save Transformers Or Kill It For Good
It is no secret that theTransformersfranchise has struggled at the box officein recent years.Bay’s original five movies grossed an average of $876.12 million, with this figure being dragged down byThe Last Knight, which followed up on two billion-dollar hits by making only $605.4 million.
In comparison, the modern movies have done even worse.Bumblebeemade only $468 million, barely half of Bay’s average.Rise of the Beasts' box office was even worse, making only $441.7 million. While an animated film,Transformers One’s $129.4 million total is symbolic of the franchise’s statusfalling a long way since the golden age of Bay.
Bay’s return to the series could recapture the box office magic of the original films, course correcting after a series of financial disappointments. Bay is a massive filmmaker, so having his name attached alone will bring more eyes to the film. He is the one who built the live-action series, so if anyone can fix these issues, it’s him.
However, if Bay fails to make a box office hit, it is possible that the series could be shelved by Paramount. TheTransformersseries can’t afford another box office disappointment. These movies usually require substantial budgets, meaning that box office failures are huge losses for Paramount.
Unfortunately,The Last Knight’s disappointing box office occurred even while Bay was still in the director’s chair, proving that he isn’t a guaranteed fix. It could be that the years without Bay will make audiences excited to see a movie by him again. However, the franchise’s reputation could outweigh his own.
The franchise’s poor critical reception and oversaturation may have simply stained the brand too much, killing the chances of ever bringing it back to its former glory. The return of Michael Bay is one last Hail Mary from Paramount, and if it doesn’t work, it will be the final nail in the coffin forTransformers.
Transformers
Transformers is a multimedia franchise consisting of movies, TV Shows, video games, and comics. The franchise centers on a race of humanoid robots called the autobots who must protect Earth from the Decepticons. Some of the most popular characters include Megatron, Optimus Prime, and Bumblebee. In 2007, the first live-action movie in the franchise was released starring Shia Labeouf.
