Hasbro's Katherine Buckland Talks Transformers Cinematic Universe and Bumblebee Spin-off

Next December, Bumblebee will hit theaters from Academy Award nominated director Travis Knight and will star Academy Award nominated actress Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena to offer fans a rich storyline surrounding fan favorite Autobot Bumblebee.

Hasbro has really created a Transformers Cinematic Universe here. With each new film, what approach does the] team take?

Hasbro takes a pragmatic approach when developing product ranges for upcoming films. From the start, we pay specific attention to detail to ensure the characters and storylines fans see on the screen translate into products people see on the shelves. The product needs to deliver a level of innovation that’s more than meets the eye. Consumers and fans expect that from us. The robust Transformers entertainment offering – which spans television, gaming, and full length features – lends itself to products, and we’ve enjoyed finding like-minded partners to grow the brand and its consumer product portfolio.

Talk us through the next steps in the movie franchise for Transformers.

We still have several action-packed years coming up for the Transformers brand. Beginning this year, there will be a movie every year for the next three years, helping fans connect with the brand and its characters like never before. With Michael Bay at the helm, Transformers: The Last Knight – the fifth installment of the Transformers franchise – hit theaters in June 2017, and featured leading actors like Mark Wahlberg, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Isabela Moner and Josh Duhamel. For December 2018, Hasbro is working on a film centered on the never-before-heard story of Bumblebee, and in June 2019 Hasbro will unveil an entirely new exciting storyline for the beloved brand.

Do Hasbro ever find themselves at a crossroads with brands such as Transformers? How do you ensure you are catering for all aspects of your fan base that spans such a wide range?

Legendary fashion house Moschino featured Transformers in a collection available globally now. Inspired by the original Transformers look from the 1980s, the line is kept up to date with a vibrant gender neutral pallette, action packed graphics and stylish silhouettes across men’s women’s and kids’ apparel and accessories.

Furthermore, we foundout that popular stationery manufacturing company Blue Sky will be developing products based on Bumblebee Movie in Q4 2018. The stationery and gift products will be ‘retro styled’.

The rest of the interview was focused on My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and the new series Stretch Armstrong. Brand Licensing Europe 2017 will take place this October 10th at Olympia London, UK. Hasbro booth can be located at D-40.