Transformers Movie Producer Remarks on Bumblebee Sequel, A Post-The Last Knight Movie, And Rebooting the 2007 Timeline

In a remarkable and breathtakingly multi-faceted example of non-comprehension, Lorenzo di Bonaventura has been making a range of statements to various outlets as the Japanese theatrical launch of Bumblebee gears up.

The previously talked about Optimus Prime-focused movie has effectively been shelved, and the current concept to replace it is something more like a "buddy cop" movie with Optimus and Bumblebee. While from a narrative standpoint this is probably a more reasonable task to pursue, it did in at least one instance apparently come with the assertion that the decision was made on the basis of how one "couldn't make an Obi-Wan Kenobi story". That's a contentious assertion at best, and fans had already given a fair degree of thought to ways that a solo Optimus Prime adventure might be able to take shape effectively - surely in entirely the same way Star Wars fans have for years pondered the idea of Obi-Wan getting to have an adventure all on his own on the big screen.

In other statements, it seems that there's still an interest (from...someone?) in following up on The Last Knight. That by itself seems a bizarre angle to pursue at this point, but it's made only moreso as Di Bonaventura also claims that it will be a reboot. Previously, Di Bonaventura had stated that he does not even know what "reboot" means so it may well be anyone's guess what he thinks he's represented with this statement. While there are certainly ...ways... that one could follow off of the generally unsuccessful fifth live action Transformers movie and still come out the other side with a "rebooted" continuity, it is to say the least unclear what intent is being acted upon here. Or would be acted upon, at such time that there is a writer or director hired on for this theoretical sequel that does not have a name, nor probably a script.

Finally, at least for now, we find Lorenzo di Bonaventura to perhaps not have the firmest grasp on why Bumblebee ended up being as well-received as it was. In another statement, he mentions wanting to bring "Bayhem" back in the Bumblebee sequel. For a movie that was praised for its heart, in finding the emotional connection between the humans and the robot, in keeping things grounded and generally not being a spectacle, to desire bringing the spectacle back is perhaps the worst stance anyone with authority over the production could be known to take. Wanting the next movie to be "bigger" seems to disregard the lessons of Bumblebee where a small movie with a small budget is still able to pull in nearly half a billion dollars globally, making about five times its budget. For the extra money a Bayhemier movie would require, it's unlikely that a proportionate return on investment would be seen.

Fortunately, producers say a lot of things at any given moment, so it's still possible that by the time there's a title or even a script, some or all of these thoughts may already be out the window and we won't find ourselves in a world where the single best Transformers movie will have simply been an aberration within a franchise determined to carry on with business as usual no matter what.