Is This the End of Transformers? Franchise Future in Jeopardy After Animated Flop

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It seems uncertain whether the Transformers series will continue after the flop of the animated film, Transformers One, at the box office.

The current circumstances could potentially be influenced by the upcoming takeover of Paramount (the production house for all Transformers movies) by Skydance.

On top of that, Hasbro has stated it’s stepping away from the movie business (though not entirely).

Transformers Future Called “Murky” After Animated Movie Flops

The same report mentioning Amazon abandoning the Henry Cavill ‘Voltron’ film for streaming services also reveals some interesting details about Transformers. It’s been disclosed that Masters of the Universe is currently being developed by Amazon, with the director of Bumblebee, Travis Knight, involved in the project.

As a devoted movie enthusiast, I recently came across an insightful piece in Wrap that delves into the performance of ’80s intellectual properties at the box office. It sheds light on how ‘Transformers One’ underperformed significantly, earning just $129 million against an estimated budget of around $150 million. Despite the hype leading up to its release and discussions about sequels, the article suggests that the franchise’s future is shrouded in uncertainty. To quote directly: “The franchise’s future remains murky.

Last year’s “Transformers One” – the initial fully animated movie within the series since 1986, titled “The Transformers: The Movie” less elegantly – grossed $129 million on a production budget over $75 million. As for Paramount’s future film plans, they still seem unclear as they were before the movie’s premiere.

Transformers/G.I. Joe Movie Talk Goes Silent

A segment of the anticipation surrounding this project hinted at Chris Hemsworth potentially appearing in a live-action merge of Transformers and G.I. Joe. However, it’s important to note that no concrete announcements regarding this production have been made for quite a while.

As a fervent admirer, I can’t help but speculate that the “announcement” might have been primarily a strategic marketing tactic to stir excitement about Chris Hemsworth voicing Optimus Prime in Transformers One. Regrettably, it appears this move didn’t resonate positively with audiences.

Magic the future of Hasbro

Approximately two months following the premiere of “Transformers One”, Bloomberg published a report indicating that Hasbro was discontinuing production of films centered around their intellectual properties. Simultaneously, the report highlighted Hasbro’s intention to prioritize its “Magic: The Gathering” brand.

In the month of February, it was revealed that Hasbro and Legendary Entertainment were planning to create a live-action film and television world centered around the “Magic” franchise.

No mention of Transformers.

Needs a serious tune-up

In a brighter light, the creative mind behind “The Walking Dead” and “Invincible”, Robert Kirkman, is now releasing “Transformers” comic books via Skybound. So far, these comics seem to be thriving.

Should the Skydance/Paramount merger be completed promptly, there’s a possibility that Kirkman might have an opportunity to revive Transformers for the big screen.

After the style seen in Michael Bay’s films and the gentle introductions of “Bumblebee” and “Rise of the Beasts”, the Transformers series seems to require a significant overhaul before embarking on fresh endeavors.

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2025-05-20 02:32