‘Transformers’: Steven Spielberg & Michael Bay Officially Returning for New Movie!!

Before Optimus Prime and Megatron started flattening entire cities every few years, Steven Spielberg was one of the people who helped get Transformers onto the big screen in the first place. He has remained involved with the franchise ever since, but its next chapter is bringing him back alongside the man who turned giant robots beating seven shades out of each other into a multi-billion-dollar business.

Spielberg is officially on board to executive produce a new live-action Transformers movie, according to Deadline, with Michael Bay returning to direct. Bay is also producing alongside Spielberg, marking the filmmaker’s first time behind the camera on the franchise since 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight. Hasbro Entertainment will also serve as an in-association production company on the film, as part of a strategy to elevate storytelling and produce films and series based on Hasbro’s most iconic brands, working with top talent, studios, and distribution platforms.

The first film, almost 20 years ago, followed the bumbling teenager Sam Witwicky as he was unwittingly caught up in the war between the Autobots and Decepticons, with Bumblebee serving as his rather unusual first car. The movie was a massive box office smash and launched the franchise that we know today. It made a lot of money, but it destroyed an impressive amount of real estate too. Spielberg‘s connection to Transformers goes all the way back to the first live-action movie. His company, Amblin Entertainment, describes him as one of the producers behind the 2007 film, with Bay directing Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight, and John Turturro. Bay directed the first five live-action movies before stepping away after The Last Knight. Travis Knight took over for Bumblebee, while Steven Caple Jr. directed Rise of the Beasts. Bay stayed involved as a producer, as did Spielberg.

How Successful Is ‘Transformers’?

The live-action Transformers franchise has been a huge success for Paramount, even if critics haven’t always been along for the ride. The seven movies released between 2007 and 2023 have earned more than $5.2 billion worldwide, with Michael Bay‘s first five films accounting for the vast majority of that total. The high point came with Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Age of Extinction, which both sailed past $1.1 billion globally. Bay‘s The Last Knight marked a downturn in 2017, earning $605 million against a massive budget, while Bumblebee followed with $468 million. The most recent live-action installment, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, made around $439 million worldwide in 2023. The new film follows last month’s re-release of The Transformers: The Movie, which was so successful it resulted in an extended run around the world.