Bumblebee (Movie)

Bumblebee: The Movie (also known as Transformers Universe: Bumblebee) is an upcoming American science fiction action film directed by Travis Knight with a screenplay by Christina Hodson. It is the sixth installment in the live-action Transformers film series, based on the Transformers' character of the same name, and serves as a prequel to Transformers (2007). The film stars Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Rachel Crow, and Pamela Adlon. Principal photography on the film began on July 31, 2017, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California.

This is the first film in the franchise to not be directed by Michael Bay, though he will still act as producer. It is scheduled to be released on December 21, 2018, by Paramount Pictures.

Synopsis
20 years before the events of the first film, in 1987, Bumblebee takes refuge in a small California beach town junkyard. A teenage girl learns that it is no ordinary Volkswagen Beetle.

Production
On February 12, 2016, it was announced that the sixth film in the Transformers series Transformers 6 would be released on June 8, 2018, while later it was revealed that the film would be an untitled spin-off, featuring Bumblebee. On November 11, 2016, Deadline reported that Paramount Pictures was moving forward with the project by revealing that Christina Hodson had written the script for the spin-off, and she was one of the female writers Paramount and Michael Bay hired in the "writers room." On March 2, 2017, Deadline reported that Travis Knight was hired to direct the film. In May 2017, it was revealed that the film's story would be set in the 1980s, and that it would have fewer robots. In the same month, it was announced that it would be titled as Transformers Universe: Bumblebee.

Casting
In May 2017, it was reported that Hailee Steinfeld was in talks for the female lead in the film, and she confirmed her involvement later in June. On July 11, 2017, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. joined the cast as the male lead. On July 12, 2017, The Tracking Board confirmed that Rachel Crow had been cast in the film. On July 13, 2017, the rest of the core cast of the film was confirmed, including Jason Drucker, Abby Quinn, Ricardo Hoyos and Gracie Dzienny. On July 22, 2017, it was reported that Pamela Adlon had been cast in the film to play Steinfeld's mother. On July 31, 2017, the film added John Cena to its lead cast along with Kenneth Choi and Stephen Schneider in the supporting cast.

On October 2, 2017, while interviewing in promotion for the home media release of Transformers: The Last Knight, voice actor Peter Cullen reveals he will be in the film.

Filming
Principal photography on the film began on July 31, 2017, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California, and was scheduled to finish on November 16, 2017, under the working title Brighton Falls. Instead, filming conlcuded 6 days earlier, on November 10th, 2017.

Later, in November 2017, the film was revealed to have changed its title to Bumblebee: The Movie, as well as having wrapped up filming.

Release
Bumblebee: The Movie is scheduled to be released on December 21, 2018, by Paramount Pictures, after initially being set for a June 8, 2018, release.