It's no secret that Michael Bay's Transformers franchise has generally been looking to expand over the course of the last few years. The increased prevalence of cinematic universes has made that inevitable. Now it seems that the first Transformers spin-off has just taken a massive step forward. We've just learned that Bumblebee finally has a script, and the search for the right director has officially begun.
A brand new report from Deadline confirms that the upcoming Bumblebee movie has a completed script from screenwriter Christina Hodson. She recently turned in a completed screenplay for Bumblebee, and now Paramount has begun the process of looking for the right director to tackle the project. If the project manages to stay on track, then Bumblebee should hit theaters in the summer of 2018.
If you have kept up with Christina Hodson's career in recent days, then you probably already know that she's kept herself incredibly busy lately. In addition to her work on the Bumblebee solo movie, she has also found herself attached to a number of other high profile projects. Such notable jobs include the upcoming reboot of The Fugitive, as well as the Harley Quinn/Birds of Prey movie. If nothing else, this seems like confirmation that she definitely knows how to work within the framework of existing franchises.
The overall intention with Bumblebee seems to be the establishment of a fully realized Hasbro toy universe in the near future. Rumors have swirled for quite some time that Paramount wants to eventually integrate the Transformers and G.I. Joe franchises. While that definitely seems like it's still a long way off, developing spin-off films for each of those respective franchises would be the first major step towards eventually integrating them. Who said only superheroes can have cinematic universes?
Of course, it's definitely worth noting that the addition of Christina Hodson to the Bumblebee solo movie is a major moment for women in the film industry. While Hollywood remains a relatively male-dominated industry, there seems to be a more concerted effort taking place to break the glass ceiling and get women more involved in the creative process of major blockbuster films. We've seen this with Patty Jenkins' involvement in the Wonder Woman solo movie, and now again with Christina Hodson. The hope here is that some fresh blood can reinvigorate tired formulas and give the blockbuster landscape a shot in the arm that it desperately needs -- particularly after 2016's lackluster summer season.
CinemaBlend will bring you any and all relevant updates related to the upcoming Bumblebee solo movie as more information becomes available to us. The main Transformers continuity will continue to expand when Transformers: The Last Knight blasts its way into theaters this summer on June 23, 2017, and the Bumblebee movie is currently slated to hit theaters on June 8, 2018. Stay tuned for more details!
