The Transformers cinematic franchise is undergoing a seismic shift to encompass transmedia storytelling as seen in the spectacularly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Universe.
A writer's room is being assembled, by director Michael Bay and producer Steven Spielberg, including Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead), Jeff Pinkner (Fringe) and Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari (Ant-Man), with the aim of developing sequels and spin-offs set in the same cinematic universe. One such project maybe a prequel set on the robots' homeworld of Cybertron.
Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner has hinted at a Bumblebee spin-off:
"As we go forward, we would imagine several more Transformers Movies,” Goldner said (via TFW2005.com). “Not just in the current lineage but also spin-offs and focusing on certain key characters that are beloved by the world over. Many of you know Bumblebee; the yellow Camaro… formally known as a yellow VW Bug. He is a beloved character by kids all over the world. We could see stories told around Bumblebee and other characters. We are in a process of building the brand equity around the comic book business, our TV Business, our digital gaming business and adding to that our new movie business of Transformers.”
Despite my enthusiasm for the first Transformers movie, the franchise quickly derailed, in creative terms, despite continued box office success. That said, I enjoyed Age of Extinction more than I'd care to admit; I'm a sucker for dinosaurs and robots...