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[film reel rattling]
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[upbeat music]
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[Narrator] Film after film,
Transformers was proving
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to be Paramount's
most powerful franchise.
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I think that's listed as one of
the fan favorites. It's right
up there.
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The franchise had been so
successful,
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made a lot of money.
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[Narrator] Fueled by the
AllSpark.
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You hold the key to Earth's
survival.
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We are here looking for the
AllSpark.
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[Narrator] And a good amount
of Bayhem.
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You're going the wrong way,
the other way, other way.
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Lift 'em up again. Do it again,
do it again. Keep rolling.
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[Narrator] The Transformers
universe
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appeared to be taking over the
world.
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That Chinese market
was super duper aware
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of American films, and
it wanted its hunk of it.
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[Narrator] But the fifth film
would take a medieval turn.
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Charge!
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Like, what? [chuckles]
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[Narrator] But in
spite of its hefty budget
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would be a blunder at the Box
Office.
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[crowd boos]
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[Enrique] It was a lot of
movie, I think, for two hours.
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Nothing in that film was
really good,
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nothing really landed.
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Hey, so, are we nearing the end
of the road with this thing?
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The Box Office spoke for it.
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The ratings spoke for it.
The fans spoke for it.
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[Narrator] To make matters
worse,
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old rumors about Michael Bay
resurfaced...
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I think when we did
the last one,
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I think we sensed that,
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that was going to be the
last one for Michael.
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I heard him saying
he wasn't gonna do it.
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[Jacques] You know,
you say that sometimes
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when you are sick and tired
of it.
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[Narrator] ...that this time
might actually be true.
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He's like, "Hey, just here's
the reins
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and you know, continue on
with this amazing franchise."
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[triumphant music]
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[Narrator] In 2017,
Transformers: The Last Knight
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was a flop.
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You've gotta be kidding me.
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{\an8}Nothing in that film was
really good.
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Very mean.
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The Box Office spoke for it.
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The ratings spoke for it.
The fans spoke for it.
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It's awful.
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[Narrator] It seemed
that the sun had set
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{\an8}on a franchise that Hasbro had
hoped would go the distance.
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{\an8}And I thought that the fourth
one
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{\an8}was going to be the last.
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[Narrator] Nope. Prior to its
release, Paramount announced
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The Last Knight along
with two more films,
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and for that we can really thank
Marvel.
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I am Iron Man.
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{\an8}The Marvel universe spurs on
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{\an8}the Transformers universe
to keep creating new movies.
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[Narrator] And Marvel had
created a lot of movies.
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Marvel sort of exploded
and did five gazillion films.
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[Narrator] And in turn,
Paramount was eager
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to make a gazillion
Transformers movies.
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Are we talking about an
invasion?
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[Narrator] Their worst fears
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were about to become a reality,
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what once were rumors
now appeared to be true,
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rumors no studio exec wants to
hear.
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{\an8}They heard him saying
he wasn't gonna do it.
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{\an8}You say that sometimes when
you are sick and tired of it.
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Do you think I'm joking all
the time?
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[Narrator] It seemed
Transformers
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was preparing to roll out
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without the father of the
franchise.
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Well, I think when we did the
last one,
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I think we sensed that,
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that was going to be the
last one for Michael.
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Maybe a bit of fatigue,
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maybe you need a new voice
coming in,
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and maybe it was exhaustion on
our part.
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[Narrator] After more than a
decade
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and five blockbuster films,
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Michael Bay was stepping away
from the director's chair.
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{\an8}He's on that movie for
years, start to finish
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{\an8}and he's probably tired of
seeing robots after a while too.
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[Narrator] Just when
Paramount was gearing up
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for more Transformers--
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- Roll out.
- We roll.
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[Narrator] The Transformers
machine
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appeared to be powering down.
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{\an8}Losing Michael Bay was
a huge blow for Paramount.
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{\an8}Here's this blockbuster director
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{\an8}that basically created the
universe
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and helmed the franchise to
success at the Box Office.
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He is gone now, there's a
creative vacuum,
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and remember, Paramount just
announced
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there's going to be more films.
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[Narrator] So there
was no going back now,
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Paramount was all in with
at least two more films,
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but before they could hire a new
director.
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They needed a script.
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Your world will be reborn.
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Paramount had said,
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{\an8}we're going to have just
a bunch of writers come in
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and do round tables.
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Paramount brought in
some real heavy hitters.
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Spearheaded by Oscar
winner, Akiva Goldsman.
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There was Walking Dead's Robert
Kurtman,
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and Black Hawk Down
screenwriter, Ken Nolan,
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who consequently wrote The Last
Knight.
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Hey, you know there's a
reward for turning you in?
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- Really?
- Yeah.
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Cool, you wanna get punched
in the face really hard?
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No.
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These were the more
well-established writers in the
room,
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but there were some up
and coming talent as well.
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Fresh ideas are always
good for a franchise.
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You need a lot of ideas.
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Throw everything at the
wall, see what sticks.
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{\an8}[Narrator] And some of the
freshest and stickiest ideas
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{\an8}came from one of the
least established writers.
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Christina Hodson,
after having her script,
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The Eden Project
included on the Black List,
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was invited to Paramount's
Writer's Room.
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You could say Christina's story
was a bit
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of a departure from the typical
Transformers spectacle.
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[Narrator] A little story that
seemed
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to dovetail nicely with one
of the littlest Autobots
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in the Transformers universe.
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- Bumblebee.
- Bumblebee.
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He's so fun.
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{\an8}To me, he's the coolest of them
all.
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{\an8}I love Bumblebee.
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{\an8}He was always the one that was
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{\an8}directly connected to the humans
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and so that's what made him
special.
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And he was little, he
always had a big heart.
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[Narrator] The script
would serve as the prequel
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to the Transformers TV
show set in the 1980s,
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and a return to the core
narrative
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that executive producer
Steven Spielberg
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had envisioned since the
beginning of the franchise.
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During the writing process,
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Spielberg encouraged
Christina to create more
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of a coming of age film instead
of
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a straight up action film.
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He really compared it
more to E.T. in spirit.
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Good.
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[Narrator] But instead of being
about a boy and his alien...
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{\an8}It's a story about a boy
and his car.
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[Narrator] ...this time it would
be about a girl and her car.
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Well, an alien car,
to be precise.
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No, I'm good thanks.
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I love the fact that Christina
Hodson
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based the character on her
nieces.
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{\an8}And the script is, it's not
all about robots fighting.
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Oh my God.
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I equate it to making
almost Pretty in Pink
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with Transformers.
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Well, I'm the only
one that comes in here.
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I don't even know how they're
still open.
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The Bumblebee script
was really a departure
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from the Transformers universe.
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It was smaller in scope, it was
personal,
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it was really a fresh idea,
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but it was a risk for the
studio.
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[Narrator] A risk
Paramount would be taking
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without veteran director Michael
Bay.
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Oh, what we would all give
to have Prime back right now.
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[Narrator] Bay was across
every aspect
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of the first five films,
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from casting to filming
to editing, but now--
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He's like, "Here's the reins,
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and continue on with
this amazing franchise."
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It's madness.
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[Bay screams]
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Those are just big shoes to
fill.
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[Narrator] Luckily Michael Bay
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would stay on as a producer,
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but it was veteran
Transformers producer,
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Lorenzo di Bonaventura,
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who on top of his many
other responsibilities,
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had the tough task of finding
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a new director for Bumblebee.
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Lorenzo had worked with
Michael on the previous
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Transformers movies and
was a huge admirer of his.
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But the script for Bumblebee
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with this coming of age story
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didn't call for the Michael
Bay typical explosions
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within the explosions
style that he's known for.
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[Narrator] The script for
Bumblebee needed a director
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adept at helming
a character-driven movie
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with an emotional core,
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and there was one film that
caught the eye
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of di Bonaventura and Spielberg.
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Well, hello, Kubo.
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Kubo and the Two Strings
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is about a boy who has magical
powers,
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that goes on a quest to find
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his late father's magical armor.
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It's a sweet little film
about self-discovery,
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family, and the power of
storytelling.
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And it was directed by Travis
Knight.
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[Narrator] Travis, the son
of Nike founder, Phil Knight,
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took an early interest
in stop motion animation
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and quickly rose up the
ranks of Will Vinton Studios,
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a company his father invested
in,
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and later rebranded as Laika.
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{\an8}Rumors were that he
was kind of a rich kid
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{\an8}and had somehow got this job.
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[Narrator] But the
rumors were laid to rest
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when the Travis Knight directed
Kubo
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00:08:57,829 --> 00:09:00,665
earned an Oscar nomination for
the studio.
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00:09:00,665 --> 00:09:01,916
Show off.
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Travis brought a lot
of heart to that film.
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It was very personal, warm, intimate.
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It was a coming of age story,
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00:09:08,673 --> 00:09:11,092
and that's exactly what he
pitched to di Bonaventura,
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an emotionally resonant
center to Bumblebee
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which was right in line
with the studio's vision.
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Like me?
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Yes, strong, and clever, and
funny,
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00:09:20,894 --> 00:09:23,772
and oh so handsome.
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Di Bonaventura wanted
Bumblebee's story
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to be character driven and
contained but not small,
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Travis agreed and they made a
deal.
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[Narrator] With the
film's director hired,
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di Bonaventura turned his
attention
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to landing a different type of
director,
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00:09:37,035 --> 00:09:39,913
director of photography, Enrique
Chediak.
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Lorenzo called me and said,
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00:09:41,373 --> 00:09:43,208
"I have a movie that you might
like."
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But I was a little bit reluctant
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to go into the Transformers
world.
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And then I asked my
agent, "Who is director?"
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And he said, "Travis Knight,"
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which two weeks before I saw
Kubo
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with my daughter, and we loved
it.
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I met Travis, and we hit it off.
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00:09:58,932 --> 00:10:02,227
And Lorenzo was very
adamant that I do the movie,
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00:10:02,227 --> 00:10:05,772
so, I ended up working on
Transformers.
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[Narrator] Lorenzo had his
man.
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00:10:08,316 --> 00:10:11,569
We've been looking for you for
so long.
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[Narrator] And his man's
right-hand man.
245
00:10:13,905 --> 00:10:16,825
But the young director
would face an uphill battle.
246
00:10:16,825 --> 00:10:18,284
Michael has done such a great
job,
247
00:10:18,284 --> 00:10:19,911
those are just big shoes to
fill.
248
00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,665
[Narrator] He would be
doing it with half the budget.
249
00:10:23,790 --> 00:10:25,917
{\an8}You want to think that, oh,
Transformers, big budget,
250
00:10:25,917 --> 00:10:27,836
ILM, must have had the money.
251
00:10:27,836 --> 00:10:29,087
Everything was pretty tight.
252
00:10:33,133 --> 00:10:34,968
[Narrator] Fledgling
director, Travis Knight,
253
00:10:35,093 --> 00:10:37,595
was taking over the
Transformers franchise
254
00:10:37,887 --> 00:10:39,806
from a director so synonymous
255
00:10:39,806 --> 00:10:41,099
with creating the universe...
256
00:10:41,224 --> 00:10:42,308
Action!
257
00:10:42,308 --> 00:10:43,643
[Narrator] ...it was named
after him.
258
00:10:43,768 --> 00:10:44,853
The Bay verse.
259
00:10:44,978 --> 00:10:46,771
[Narrator] Hand tasked with
re-imagining
260
00:10:46,896 --> 00:10:49,858
a beloved character, and a
theme.
261
00:10:50,025 --> 00:10:51,192
{\an8}It's a story about a boy and
his car.
262
00:10:51,484 --> 00:10:54,779
[Narrator] That Bay had
driven to Box Office success.
263
00:10:54,904 --> 00:10:55,989
- Oh my God.
- Trust me,
264
00:10:56,114 --> 00:10:57,365
he's a kick-ass driver.
265
00:10:57,365 --> 00:10:59,743
[Narrator] But now
Knight would have to do it
266
00:10:59,743 --> 00:11:03,705
with a sum that paled in
comparison to his predecessors.
267
00:11:03,705 --> 00:11:05,206
They're 200 plus.
268
00:11:05,540 --> 00:11:09,336
[Narrator] The Last
Knight's budget was 217 million
269
00:11:09,336 --> 00:11:10,295
to be exact.
270
00:11:10,462 --> 00:11:13,882
So how would Travis step
out of the long shadow
271
00:11:14,007 --> 00:11:17,635
cast by Michael Bay, and
transform Transformers
272
00:11:17,761 --> 00:11:19,054
into something of his own?
273
00:11:20,096 --> 00:11:22,307
And Travis needed to find a lead
274
00:11:22,307 --> 00:11:24,851
with an it factor of her own.
275
00:11:24,976 --> 00:11:26,227
I'm the person for it.
276
00:11:26,227 --> 00:11:28,897
[Narrator] With a Golden
Globe nomination at 17
277
00:11:29,022 --> 00:11:31,316
and a standout performance in
True Grit.
278
00:11:31,608 --> 00:11:33,068
Look here, I need a pony,
279
00:11:33,068 --> 00:11:34,694
and I'll pay $10 for one of
them.
280
00:11:34,819 --> 00:11:37,364
[Narrator] Hailee Steinfeld
was the perfect choice.
281
00:11:37,364 --> 00:11:39,032
{\an8}It made me feel like there was
gonna be
282
00:11:39,032 --> 00:11:41,868
{\an8}more to the movie than we'd seen
before
283
00:11:42,035 --> 00:11:44,746
because of that particular
casting choice.
284
00:11:44,746 --> 00:11:45,747
{\an8}You know, she's only gotten
bigger,
285
00:11:45,747 --> 00:11:47,999
{\an8}she was big then, and
has only gotten bigger.
286
00:11:48,166 --> 00:11:49,751
Gross, Ron.
287
00:11:49,876 --> 00:11:52,128
There is a vulnerability
that she's a girl
288
00:11:52,128 --> 00:11:54,798
{\an8}that has a lot of issues with
her mother.
289
00:11:55,006 --> 00:11:57,133
So I'm sorry if that
makes things harder,
290
00:11:57,133 --> 00:11:59,094
but in 10 months from now,
291
00:11:59,094 --> 00:12:00,762
you won't even have to deal with
me.
292
00:12:00,762 --> 00:12:04,140
[Enrique] And suddenly
what brings happiness
293
00:12:04,140 --> 00:12:06,351
and joy to her life is
Bumblebee.
294
00:12:06,351 --> 00:12:07,811
[Narrator] With their lead
locked in,
295
00:12:08,019 --> 00:12:11,439
Knight turns to a very
different kind of star,
296
00:12:11,439 --> 00:12:14,651
someone who could bring
both menace and muscle.
297
00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:17,195
{\an8}I think coming from the
wrestling world,
298
00:12:17,362 --> 00:12:19,072
{\an8}I think he just comes from hard
work.
299
00:12:19,322 --> 00:12:20,782
So he would always be on set,
300
00:12:20,990 --> 00:12:22,158
he would never go back to his
trailer.
301
00:12:22,283 --> 00:12:23,243
I always remember that.
302
00:12:23,243 --> 00:12:25,161
He'd sit on set until he was up,
303
00:12:25,161 --> 00:12:26,788
you don't always see that.
304
00:12:26,788 --> 00:12:28,248
That's not a bad day at the
office.
305
00:12:28,248 --> 00:12:29,958
[Narrator] And standing beside
John,
306
00:12:30,083 --> 00:12:33,294
as head of sector seven,
General Whalen was.
307
00:12:33,420 --> 00:12:35,964
{\an8}Emmy award-winning actor,
Glynn Turman,
308
00:12:36,214 --> 00:12:38,216
and let that cover it all, okay?
309
00:12:38,883 --> 00:12:43,138
John, what I liked about
his work ethic was that
310
00:12:43,138 --> 00:12:47,767
as staunch as he was, he didn't
want it to be so serious.
311
00:12:47,934 --> 00:12:48,977
[soldier groans]
312
00:12:49,185 --> 00:12:50,812
Just stop.
313
00:12:51,229 --> 00:12:52,939
We all kind of took our lead
314
00:12:52,939 --> 00:12:56,651
where the tone of the movie was,
315
00:12:56,901 --> 00:12:59,321
and this is a movie that's about
fun.
316
00:12:59,529 --> 00:13:01,031
Have you lost your damn mind?
317
00:13:01,156 --> 00:13:03,199
[Narrator] With the human cast
in place,
318
00:13:03,199 --> 00:13:06,036
how would Travis set
himself apart from Bay
319
00:13:06,036 --> 00:13:08,830
and make his mark on the
Transformers themselves?
320
00:13:08,955 --> 00:13:10,248
I have an idea.
321
00:13:10,248 --> 00:13:12,250
It's always a risk if
you're gonna take something
322
00:13:12,375 --> 00:13:15,128
that has a very
established visual language
323
00:13:15,253 --> 00:13:16,296
and kind of change it.
324
00:13:16,296 --> 00:13:18,173
{\an8}Michael Bay was the key person
325
00:13:18,298 --> 00:13:21,760
developing the Camaro
Bumblebee for the first movie,
326
00:13:21,885 --> 00:13:27,057
but I have no idea why he
didn't want to use the VW.
327
00:13:27,265 --> 00:13:30,894
[Narrator] But Travis
did want to use the VW.
328
00:13:30,894 --> 00:13:32,103
What?
329
00:13:32,103 --> 00:13:33,355
[Narrator] No longer a Camaro.
330
00:13:33,355 --> 00:13:34,314
The yellow Beetle, I want it.
331
00:13:34,731 --> 00:13:38,443
[Narrator] Bold plan was
reviving the look of G1 in a
time
332
00:13:38,610 --> 00:13:42,072
when old Beetles were
a teenager's first car.
333
00:13:42,072 --> 00:13:44,491
Oh my God, thank you so much.
I love you.
334
00:13:44,616 --> 00:13:46,910
{\an8}Casting Bumblebee as a
Volkswagen Beetle
335
00:13:46,910 --> 00:13:49,204
{\an8}was a stroke of genius, honestly.
336
00:13:49,204 --> 00:13:50,705
Remember, this is a prequel,
337
00:13:50,830 --> 00:13:53,333
so it needs to have this
80s sort of aesthetic to it.
338
00:13:53,500 --> 00:13:56,294
The car itself looks more
approachable, looks more
friendly,
339
00:13:56,544 --> 00:13:59,130
looks more relatable and human.
340
00:13:59,130 --> 00:14:00,256
You still in there?
341
00:14:03,176 --> 00:14:07,263
Bumblebee was definitely
awesome as a Camaro,
342
00:14:07,263 --> 00:14:09,724
and he was the cool
kid, but you know what?
343
00:14:09,849 --> 00:14:13,019
Bumblebee as a bug was a
little more like a lot of us
344
00:14:13,144 --> 00:14:14,187
as we were growing up.
345
00:14:14,187 --> 00:14:17,399
Like, I was a VW Beetle
more than I was a Camaro.
346
00:14:17,524 --> 00:14:19,818
[Narrator] So how would
the new director's approach
347
00:14:19,985 --> 00:14:22,153
differ from his predecessor?
348
00:14:22,278 --> 00:14:24,072
You know, there's a
whole chapter in here
349
00:14:24,072 --> 00:14:26,241
about how people who smile more
often
350
00:14:26,241 --> 00:14:28,076
actually have more friends.
351
00:14:28,076 --> 00:14:29,202
They're very different styles.
352
00:14:29,411 --> 00:14:30,912
Michael's a bit more bombastic,
353
00:14:30,912 --> 00:14:32,372
he expected more intuition.
354
00:14:32,539 --> 00:14:34,499
Travis knows what he
wants and he tells you.
355
00:14:34,499 --> 00:14:36,292
And we're working on some of
356
00:14:36,418 --> 00:14:39,295
the different battle masks for
him, what it could be like.
357
00:14:39,421 --> 00:14:41,840
{\an8}He replied in an email,
"These are just horrible.
358
00:14:41,965 --> 00:14:43,341
{\an8}These are just the worst."
359
00:14:43,842 --> 00:14:46,803
[laughs] That was it.
360
00:14:46,803 --> 00:14:49,514
[Narrator] Relying less
on Bay verse-style spectacle,
361
00:14:49,514 --> 00:14:51,891
the production had to find a way
362
00:14:52,017 --> 00:14:54,519
to make intimate scenes more
realistic.
363
00:14:54,519 --> 00:14:57,564
Travis is a very hands-on,
very practically minded guy
364
00:14:57,689 --> 00:15:01,568
who would use CG when it needs
to be CG, and I loved that.
365
00:15:01,693 --> 00:15:04,112
I mean, he's the owner of Laika
Animation.
366
00:15:04,112 --> 00:15:06,489
He's an animator who animates
with stop motion puppets.
367
00:15:06,614 --> 00:15:10,285
We commissioned the upper
torso of that character,
368
00:15:10,285 --> 00:15:12,287
practically made and practically
painted.
369
00:15:12,287 --> 00:15:13,997
I think somewhere behind me I've
got
370
00:15:14,122 --> 00:15:17,042
the sample yellow spheres
of the pristine paint
371
00:15:17,208 --> 00:15:18,293
and the banged up paint.
372
00:15:18,418 --> 00:15:19,419
It was great.
373
00:15:20,086 --> 00:15:22,464
[Narrator] With Bumblebee
now practically assembled,
374
00:15:22,464 --> 00:15:26,426
the voiceless little bugger
needed a way to communicate.
375
00:15:26,551 --> 00:15:28,345
Do you speak?
376
00:15:28,345 --> 00:15:31,473
[Narrator] Luckily, the
production had a secret weapon.
377
00:15:31,806 --> 00:15:33,266
[woman screams]
378
00:15:33,433 --> 00:15:36,936
I am the Idaho state champion
pantomime.
379
00:15:37,270 --> 00:15:38,897
Optimus Mime.
380
00:15:39,022 --> 00:15:40,982
Is there a nerdier thing to
win?
381
00:15:41,232 --> 00:15:44,069
But it's all in the little
things he does with his body
382
00:15:44,194 --> 00:15:47,072
and the way he moves his face.
383
00:15:47,072 --> 00:15:48,365
It has to be so expressive.
384
00:15:48,365 --> 00:15:50,325
He's gotta say everything.
385
00:15:50,325 --> 00:15:52,327
[Narrator] For even more
inspiration,
386
00:15:52,452 --> 00:15:55,497
Jason took off his black and
white shirt,
387
00:15:55,497 --> 00:15:59,584
to black and white cinema
from Hollywood's silent era.
388
00:15:59,584 --> 00:16:01,503
[Jason] We looked at Charlie
Chaplin,
389
00:16:01,503 --> 00:16:03,004
we looked at Buster Keaton,
390
00:16:03,004 --> 00:16:04,923
'cause they had no other
recourse either.
391
00:16:05,090 --> 00:16:06,257
They had no voice.
392
00:16:06,257 --> 00:16:08,259
They had to make it all
work with their face.
393
00:16:08,259 --> 00:16:09,427
Are you scared?
394
00:16:11,596 --> 00:16:13,348
It's all in the eyes.
395
00:16:15,266 --> 00:16:16,518
When Bay was directing,
396
00:16:16,643 --> 00:16:19,854
the actors couldn't even
see the Transformers' eyes.
397
00:16:19,854 --> 00:16:21,231
Trust me, I said.
398
00:16:21,356 --> 00:16:24,317
He made a 16-foot
fiberglass scale of Bumblebee
399
00:16:24,484 --> 00:16:27,862
that was mostly just
beneficial for camera blocking
400
00:16:27,988 --> 00:16:31,616
and to showcase how massive in
scale he was from the movies.
401
00:16:31,783 --> 00:16:33,994
Knight's practical Bumblebee
402
00:16:33,994 --> 00:16:35,954
had large expressive light up
eyes.
403
00:16:35,954 --> 00:16:38,665
He was smaller, rounder,
more approachable.
404
00:16:38,790 --> 00:16:40,375
It made him more human.
405
00:16:40,667 --> 00:16:44,379
I don't know what he
is, but he's my friend,
406
00:16:44,504 --> 00:16:46,631
[Narrator] A friend
and an acting partner.
407
00:16:46,631 --> 00:16:48,883
This practical approach really
helped
408
00:16:48,883 --> 00:16:49,968
with the performances as well,
409
00:16:49,968 --> 00:16:52,387
particularly with actors
like Hailee Steinfeld
410
00:16:52,512 --> 00:16:55,056
who had to have more intimate
scenes with Bumblebee.
411
00:16:55,056 --> 00:16:56,141
[Bumblebee purrs.]
412
00:16:56,141 --> 00:16:59,019
The relationship felt
more real and genuine.
413
00:16:59,310 --> 00:17:00,395
Thank you for...
414
00:17:02,689 --> 00:17:04,649
...making me feel
like me again.
415
00:17:07,193 --> 00:17:09,112
Hailee Steinfeld is
such an amazing actress,
416
00:17:09,279 --> 00:17:10,989
when you put her opposite the
robot,
417
00:17:11,239 --> 00:17:12,324
she brought it to life.
418
00:17:13,533 --> 00:17:15,493
[Narrator] From practical
robots,
419
00:17:15,618 --> 00:17:17,078
production turned their
attention
420
00:17:17,078 --> 00:17:20,165
to practical locations
in Northern California.
421
00:17:20,165 --> 00:17:22,584
One of the big references was
the 80s.
422
00:17:22,584 --> 00:17:24,210
He was looking for a house.
423
00:17:24,210 --> 00:17:25,962
So we went to look, and look,
424
00:17:26,129 --> 00:17:28,715
and look for a lot of locations
and we didn't find anything.
425
00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,676
So we found an empty spot
close to San Francisco.
426
00:17:32,010 --> 00:17:34,512
So we built the exterior
of the house in the garage
427
00:17:34,512 --> 00:17:36,056
in this beautiful location,
428
00:17:36,389 --> 00:17:39,601
and we built the house and the
garage in the studio as well.
429
00:17:39,851 --> 00:17:41,686
[Narrator] Hmm, that looks
familiar.
430
00:17:41,811 --> 00:17:44,105
Yes, a lot of Amblin
references,
431
00:17:44,105 --> 00:17:45,565
a lot of Amblin references.
432
00:17:45,899 --> 00:17:48,401
[E.T. groans]
433
00:17:48,526 --> 00:17:50,528
[Narrator] But would
Travis stick to the script?
434
00:17:50,653 --> 00:17:53,281
Travis, I think, wanted
to do his own thing.
435
00:17:53,281 --> 00:17:55,408
Enrique was doing most of the
work.
436
00:17:55,700 --> 00:17:58,286
He didn't know what a
live action movie is like.
437
00:17:58,411 --> 00:18:00,372
[Narrator] Or would he and
Lorenzo
438
00:18:00,372 --> 00:18:02,707
wind up on different pages?
439
00:18:02,707 --> 00:18:05,502
Travis wanted more
the relationship movie
440
00:18:05,502 --> 00:18:08,213
and Lorenzo wanted more the
action movie.
441
00:18:12,384 --> 00:18:14,302
[Narrator] Bumblebee
Director, Travis Knight,
442
00:18:14,302 --> 00:18:16,346
was stepping into big shoes.
443
00:18:16,471 --> 00:18:17,764
Those are big shoes to fill,
444
00:18:17,889 --> 00:18:20,433
like, you're taking over
a franchise of a guy that,
445
00:18:20,558 --> 00:18:22,227
I mean, just knows it.
446
00:18:22,477 --> 00:18:24,396
[Narrator] Although
Michael Bay had stepped away
447
00:18:24,521 --> 00:18:26,606
from the director's chair for
Bumblebee,
448
00:18:26,606 --> 00:18:28,316
he stepped up as a producer,
449
00:18:28,316 --> 00:18:31,736
and the crew fully expected
another Bayhem production.
450
00:18:31,861 --> 00:18:33,321
Michael has done such a great
job
451
00:18:33,655 --> 00:18:35,156
and I had went in there
thinking,
452
00:18:35,156 --> 00:18:37,200
"Oh man, this is gonna even be
bigger."
453
00:18:37,575 --> 00:18:38,660
[Narrator] Well...
454
00:18:38,785 --> 00:18:40,078
Let's do this.
455
00:18:40,078 --> 00:18:41,371
It was really the opposite.
456
00:18:41,496 --> 00:18:43,081
{\an8}[Narrator] And the opposite
approach
457
00:18:43,206 --> 00:18:45,500
{\an8}was apparent right from the
opening scene.
458
00:18:45,667 --> 00:18:48,002
Well, I'd come up with
all these crazy ideas,
459
00:18:48,002 --> 00:18:50,296
jumping and all this authentic
action.
460
00:18:50,296 --> 00:18:52,048
You gotta make it bigger,
it's gotta be cool,
461
00:18:52,048 --> 00:18:53,258
but it's gotta be cooler than
the last.
462
00:18:53,550 --> 00:18:55,760
[Narrator] Sounds
Transformery.
463
00:18:55,885 --> 00:18:57,554
And he didn't want any of that.
He was like,
464
00:18:57,679 --> 00:18:59,431
"No, we're not going,
we're not going that big."
465
00:18:59,556 --> 00:19:02,308
Travis, I think, wanted
to do his own thing.
466
00:19:02,308 --> 00:19:05,478
[Narrator] The comparisons
to Michael Bay were inevitable,
467
00:19:05,478 --> 00:19:09,107
but Travis had no option
but to be, well, Travis,
468
00:19:09,232 --> 00:19:11,735
and doing his own thing meant
falling back
469
00:19:11,860 --> 00:19:13,611
on his experience as an
animator.
470
00:19:13,945 --> 00:19:16,698
Travis was completely
different speed.
471
00:19:16,698 --> 00:19:18,325
Everything was very meticulous.
472
00:19:18,616 --> 00:19:20,493
Animation is just a different
animal.
473
00:19:20,618 --> 00:19:23,121
I mean, they're doing
everything frame by frame,
474
00:19:23,329 --> 00:19:24,622
but it's very mapped out,
475
00:19:24,789 --> 00:19:26,541
it's almost over mapped out.
476
00:19:26,791 --> 00:19:28,626
[Narrator] While Travis
worked with the actors,
477
00:19:28,626 --> 00:19:31,629
longtime Bay collaborator, di
Bonaventura,
478
00:19:31,629 --> 00:19:35,133
would have to keep an
eagle eye on everything.
479
00:19:35,258 --> 00:19:36,593
He was always at every
production meeting,
480
00:19:36,718 --> 00:19:38,303
he was very hands-on.
481
00:19:38,428 --> 00:19:39,554
He's every day on the set.
482
00:19:39,554 --> 00:19:40,722
He's every day giving notes.
483
00:19:41,097 --> 00:19:43,767
He's every day meeting with the
writers.
484
00:19:43,767 --> 00:19:45,769
Because Lorenzo is
not doing that to Bay,
485
00:19:45,769 --> 00:19:48,271
there's a different dynamic,
you know what I mean?
486
00:19:48,396 --> 00:19:50,482
[Narrator] And even
though Lorenzo hired Travis
487
00:19:50,482 --> 00:19:52,776
to direct an intimate coming of
age story.
488
00:19:52,776 --> 00:19:55,695
Travis wanted more
the relationship movie.
489
00:19:55,945 --> 00:19:57,822
[Narrator] He was beginning to
question
490
00:19:57,822 --> 00:20:00,408
whether the film had all
the right ingredients
491
00:20:00,408 --> 00:20:02,160
for the Transformers franchise.
492
00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,371
Lorenzo wanted a little bit
more of the
493
00:20:04,371 --> 00:20:06,873
Transformers fights, the
action movie.
494
00:20:07,207 --> 00:20:09,167
[Narrator] Action versus
intimacy,
495
00:20:09,292 --> 00:20:11,378
director versus producer.
496
00:20:11,378 --> 00:20:12,921
And you can also feel
the excitement of Travis
497
00:20:13,046 --> 00:20:15,215
when he was with the robot and
the girl.
498
00:20:15,215 --> 00:20:17,342
And he was a little less excited
499
00:20:17,342 --> 00:20:18,593
when he was doing the big
things,
500
00:20:18,843 --> 00:20:21,346
and Lorenzo was super excited.
501
00:20:21,346 --> 00:20:23,431
{\an8}I didn't do much with Travis
at all.
502
00:20:23,765 --> 00:20:26,184
The big battle at the end
was a big dry dock area.
503
00:20:26,309 --> 00:20:27,852
It was a lot of stuff with the
helicopter,
504
00:20:27,852 --> 00:20:29,896
and Enrique was doing most of
the work.
505
00:20:29,896 --> 00:20:31,481
[Narrator] Were Lorenzo and
Travis
506
00:20:31,481 --> 00:20:33,233
coming apart at the seams?
507
00:20:33,358 --> 00:20:35,694
There was always on the set
that thing that you can feel.
508
00:20:35,860 --> 00:20:39,447
But it speaks a lot that
Lorenzo hired Travis.
509
00:20:39,447 --> 00:20:41,658
It was two aspects of
Bumblebee,
510
00:20:41,658 --> 00:20:44,869
one was the relationship
between the girl and the robot,
511
00:20:44,994 --> 00:20:46,871
and the other one was saving the
world,
512
00:20:47,038 --> 00:20:48,456
there was a balance.
513
00:20:48,790 --> 00:20:52,460
Travis and Lorenzo, they
reached a nice compromise.
514
00:20:52,460 --> 00:20:53,837
[Narrator] As principal
photography
515
00:20:53,837 --> 00:20:58,133
for Bumblebee wrapped
in November of 2017.
516
00:20:58,133 --> 00:20:59,592
Goodbye, Bumblebee.
517
00:20:59,592 --> 00:21:01,678
[Narrator] The baton was
passing to ILM
518
00:21:02,011 --> 00:21:03,972
who were working with a smaller
budget
519
00:21:03,972 --> 00:21:06,474
on a less robot heavy movie.
520
00:21:06,474 --> 00:21:08,435
{\an8}There was definitely a
difference there
521
00:21:08,435 --> 00:21:11,229
{\an8}and that difference was that we
did tend
522
00:21:11,229 --> 00:21:13,398
to respect the designs,
which were less pieces.
523
00:21:13,523 --> 00:21:15,525
{\an8}It was way less robots
that we were designing,
524
00:21:15,692 --> 00:21:17,736
a much more focused experience.
525
00:21:17,902 --> 00:21:18,987
And you would think, "Well,
great,
526
00:21:18,987 --> 00:21:20,739
you just saved a bunch of money,
right?"
527
00:21:20,739 --> 00:21:22,324
{\an8}It costs a million dollars
528
00:21:22,449 --> 00:21:23,867
{\an8}to transform one of these
characters.
529
00:21:23,992 --> 00:21:27,287
{\an8}It will bankrupt us to
animate this many robots.
530
00:21:27,287 --> 00:21:29,664
[Narrator] So less
robots, less stress, right?
531
00:21:30,665 --> 00:21:31,791
No,
532
00:21:31,791 --> 00:21:33,293
because now everybody's looking
533
00:21:33,293 --> 00:21:35,462
at those pieces very
specifically.
534
00:21:35,587 --> 00:21:36,588
If you just got all the pieces
535
00:21:36,713 --> 00:21:38,715
and it's like 19 of them,
536
00:21:38,715 --> 00:21:41,384
then you better know what you're
doing with every one of those.
537
00:21:42,052 --> 00:21:46,473
That intricate detail
in those soft spaces
538
00:21:46,473 --> 00:21:48,516
is really what makes this design
539
00:21:48,516 --> 00:21:51,311
{\an8}of Transformer movie robots
stand out.
540
00:21:51,478 --> 00:21:54,606
[Narrator] But not every
Bumblebee scene made the cut.
541
00:21:56,650 --> 00:21:59,402
Travis was constantly pulling
inspiration
542
00:21:59,527 --> 00:22:00,987
from Spielberg's playbook.
543
00:22:00,987 --> 00:22:02,614
A lot of Amblin references.
544
00:22:02,614 --> 00:22:05,575
[Narrator] And while some
of those ideas felt fresh,
545
00:22:05,700 --> 00:22:08,578
others were things the
audience had seen before.
546
00:22:08,578 --> 00:22:10,372
He puts his energy in the
house
547
00:22:10,497 --> 00:22:13,458
and a few of those appliances
started getting alive, yeah.
548
00:22:13,708 --> 00:22:15,543
I think there was a
washing machine or something,
549
00:22:15,669 --> 00:22:16,711
or a dishwasher.
550
00:22:18,546 --> 00:22:21,466
[Narrator] Like Charlie's
forehead, the scene was cut,
551
00:22:21,466 --> 00:22:24,469
because it was deemed to be a
direct copy
552
00:22:24,469 --> 00:22:26,846
of "Revenge of the Fallen."
553
00:22:26,971 --> 00:22:29,641
[mechanical clicks and
robot groans]
554
00:22:29,891 --> 00:22:32,394
But one of the most dramatic
changes
555
00:22:32,394 --> 00:22:33,978
came straight from the top.
556
00:22:33,978 --> 00:22:36,398
Lorenzo is a producer in the
movie,
557
00:22:36,523 --> 00:22:38,900
he comes with great pedigree
from running a studio.
558
00:22:39,109 --> 00:22:40,902
[Narrator] Lorenzo decided
he'd see
559
00:22:40,902 --> 00:22:42,946
what a test audience would make
560
00:22:43,071 --> 00:22:44,781
of an early cut of Bumblebee
561
00:22:44,906 --> 00:22:46,449
and the feedback was...
562
00:22:46,574 --> 00:22:47,617
[crowd boos]
563
00:22:47,742 --> 00:22:48,993
...not good.
564
00:22:50,078 --> 00:22:51,746
Audiences loved John Cena,
565
00:22:51,746 --> 00:22:54,457
so Lorenzo ordered a whole new
scene
566
00:22:54,582 --> 00:22:57,043
to be written and shot
for the start of the film.
567
00:22:57,252 --> 00:23:00,005
Basically the re-shoots
were because of him,
568
00:23:00,213 --> 00:23:02,507
to tell his story right at the
beginning.
569
00:23:02,716 --> 00:23:03,967
[soldier moans]
570
00:23:04,092 --> 00:23:05,927
And I think they had to
humanize him a little bit,
571
00:23:05,927 --> 00:23:07,095
a little bit more.
572
00:23:07,220 --> 00:23:08,388
Oh, I hate you.
573
00:23:08,388 --> 00:23:10,015
That hurts because I love you.
574
00:23:10,015 --> 00:23:12,809
{\an8}Sort of fitting a character
to the actor's strengths
575
00:23:12,934 --> 00:23:15,729
{\an8}is always a good idea if
it works in the story,
576
00:23:15,729 --> 00:23:16,855
and I think it did.
577
00:23:16,855 --> 00:23:18,064
Danny, I know I look stupid,
but--
578
00:23:18,898 --> 00:23:22,485
[Narrator] Test
audiences were also shocked
579
00:23:22,485 --> 00:23:26,406
about the lack of Transformers
in a Transformers movie.
580
00:23:26,573 --> 00:23:27,365
I mean, Bumblebee
581
00:23:27,490 --> 00:23:29,784
was always kind of a
different movie in a way
582
00:23:29,784 --> 00:23:32,829
that we were missing a
little chunk of action.
583
00:23:33,038 --> 00:23:36,333
It was Lorenzo di Bonaventura
that actually came forward,
584
00:23:36,458 --> 00:23:39,544
and said, "This would really
help if we can add some action
585
00:23:39,544 --> 00:23:41,755
at the beginning of the movie
so that people get like,
586
00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:43,381
this is a Transformers movie."
587
00:23:43,631 --> 00:23:44,966
It was very late in the
schedule.
588
00:23:44,966 --> 00:23:46,384
It was impossible.
[laughs]
589
00:23:47,635 --> 00:23:50,555
But it was also Christmas
morning,
590
00:23:50,555 --> 00:23:53,600
because we were going
to be given the reigns
591
00:23:53,725 --> 00:23:56,061
to create Cybertron.
592
00:23:56,061 --> 00:23:58,688
[Narrator] Even if Prime
couldn't save Cybertron,
593
00:23:58,688 --> 00:24:01,900
it was up to ILM to
create a Cybertron scene
594
00:24:02,025 --> 00:24:03,693
that might save the movie.
595
00:24:03,693 --> 00:24:04,819
There was no other choice,
596
00:24:05,028 --> 00:24:06,571
we had to say yes and we had to
succeed.
597
00:24:06,571 --> 00:24:07,781
There was some budget given
598
00:24:07,781 --> 00:24:08,865
'cause we had to pull people
back.
599
00:24:08,990 --> 00:24:10,158
It wasn't extravagant.
600
00:24:11,826 --> 00:24:13,828
{\an8}[Narrator] Bumblebee would
now start
601
00:24:13,953 --> 00:24:17,707
with the scene depicting
the Civil War on Cybertron.
602
00:24:17,832 --> 00:24:20,960
But would it be enough to
make the film a success
603
00:24:20,960 --> 00:24:22,087
at the Box Office?
604
00:24:22,087 --> 00:24:24,130
We will fight on,
605
00:24:24,130 --> 00:24:25,715
but we must find refuge first.
606
00:24:25,715 --> 00:24:29,052
[Narrator] And usher in a
new post Michael Bay world
607
00:24:29,177 --> 00:24:30,804
led by Travis Knight.
608
00:24:31,137 --> 00:24:33,598
You couldn't say no to
it and you couldn't fail.
609
00:24:38,019 --> 00:24:41,398
[Narrator] Bumblebee
landed in December of 2018,
610
00:24:41,398 --> 00:24:43,608
but would Travis Knight's
heartfelt story,
611
00:24:43,608 --> 00:24:46,528
coupled with Lorenzo di
Bonaventura's spectacle,
612
00:24:46,695 --> 00:24:49,072
resonate with audiences?
613
00:24:49,197 --> 00:24:51,700
There was a sweetness
about the Bumblebee movie.
614
00:24:51,700 --> 00:24:53,451
I think you connect in a way
615
00:24:53,618 --> 00:24:56,871
{\an8}that you maybe don't with
some of the Michael Bay films.
616
00:24:58,832 --> 00:25:01,084
{\an8}I know the sequence on
Cybertron from Bumblebee
617
00:25:01,084 --> 00:25:03,086
{\an8}is a massive fan favorite.
618
00:25:03,086 --> 00:25:04,462
Contact with the Capitol.
619
00:25:04,587 --> 00:25:05,630
There's too many of them.
620
00:25:05,839 --> 00:25:07,841
{\an8}What it turned into is every
scene
621
00:25:07,841 --> 00:25:10,051
{\an8}that we wanted to see as kids.
622
00:25:10,051 --> 00:25:12,971
[Narrator] On December 21st,
2018,
623
00:25:12,971 --> 00:25:16,141
Bumblebee rolled into
theaters and was a hit,
624
00:25:16,266 --> 00:25:20,854
with worldwide theatrical
earnings of $468 million,
625
00:25:20,979 --> 00:25:25,567
and an estimated production
budget of less than 135 million.
626
00:25:25,567 --> 00:25:27,569
Bumblebee was a critical
627
00:25:27,569 --> 00:25:30,238
and financial success for
Paramount.
628
00:25:30,238 --> 00:25:33,116
{\an8}The movie did make enough
to keep the franchise rolling.
629
00:25:33,241 --> 00:25:35,535
Paramount said, "Okay, cool,
you can go,
630
00:25:35,535 --> 00:25:37,871
you can do your own thing."
631
00:25:37,996 --> 00:25:39,456
[Narrator] But the studio
wanted them
632
00:25:39,581 --> 00:25:41,082
doing Marvel's thing.
633
00:25:41,207 --> 00:25:43,877
{\an8}Paramount's bid to build
the Transformers universe
634
00:25:43,877 --> 00:25:47,922
{\an8}to rival Marvel's turned into
a soft mid-series reboot,
635
00:25:48,048 --> 00:25:50,592
{\an8}one that got the franchise back
on track.
636
00:25:50,592 --> 00:25:51,676
So in early 2020,
637
00:25:51,676 --> 00:25:53,470
Paramount Studios brought in
writers,
638
00:25:53,470 --> 00:25:56,056
Joby Harold and James Vanderbilt
to each write a script
639
00:25:56,181 --> 00:25:57,557
with one directive,
640
00:25:57,557 --> 00:25:59,768
to expand the universe
to include characters
641
00:25:59,768 --> 00:26:02,604
from the Transformers: Beast
Wars series from the 90s.
642
00:26:02,604 --> 00:26:04,606
All right, he's coming back.
643
00:26:04,606 --> 00:26:06,107
[Narrator] The studio
expanded the universe
644
00:26:06,107 --> 00:26:08,193
with new factions like the
Maximals,
645
00:26:08,318 --> 00:26:10,070
the core of Beast Wars
646
00:26:10,070 --> 00:26:12,155
who landed on prehistoric earth
647
00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:14,824
and transformed into well, beasts.
648
00:26:14,949 --> 00:26:16,701
Cheedor, maximize.
649
00:26:18,161 --> 00:26:19,829
{\an8}It was the first time
we did 3D animation
650
00:26:19,829 --> 00:26:22,165
{\an8}in a Transformers Hasbro
property.
651
00:26:22,165 --> 00:26:23,917
[Narrator] The TV show was
crude,
652
00:26:23,917 --> 00:26:27,045
but it was a mountain
of new IP that Paramount
653
00:26:27,045 --> 00:26:30,757
intended to mine for its
present day universe.
654
00:26:30,882 --> 00:26:32,884
Paramount went with Joby
Harold's script
655
00:26:33,009 --> 00:26:36,554
that preserved the
Bumblebee tone and timeline,
656
00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:39,891
and introduced a new
breed of Transformers.
657
00:26:39,891 --> 00:26:41,226
[gasps]
658
00:26:42,268 --> 00:26:43,895
Who wants some?
659
00:26:44,020 --> 00:26:45,563
[Narrator] Beast Wars
was in,
660
00:26:45,689 --> 00:26:48,525
but the stars of Bumblebee
were out.
661
00:26:48,525 --> 00:26:49,984
Rise of the Beast
takes place seven years
662
00:26:49,984 --> 00:26:51,194
after Bumblebee
663
00:26:51,194 --> 00:26:53,029
so the cast didn't include
actors
664
00:26:53,154 --> 00:26:54,823
such as Hailee or John Cena.
665
00:26:54,990 --> 00:26:57,158
[Narrator] Well, at least
Paramount had locked in
666
00:26:57,325 --> 00:26:58,743
Travis to direct,
667
00:26:58,743 --> 00:27:02,205
and he was set to roll
cameras in early 2020,
668
00:27:02,205 --> 00:27:03,748
until he wasn't.
669
00:27:03,915 --> 00:27:06,251
Knight's vision clashed
with the franchises',
670
00:27:06,376 --> 00:27:09,671
so he returned to Laika
to focus on animation,
671
00:27:09,671 --> 00:27:12,674
but the studio landed a hot new
director
672
00:27:12,674 --> 00:27:14,509
in Steven Caple Jr.
673
00:27:14,676 --> 00:27:15,885
This is the first film that he
had any knowledge
674
00:27:15,885 --> 00:27:18,638
- of visual effects in.
- [Narrator] Whoops.
675
00:27:18,763 --> 00:27:21,266
Nothing before Transformers
franchise that is detrimental.
676
00:27:21,391 --> 00:27:24,561
[Narrator] But he was fresh
off of helming "Creed II"
677
00:27:24,561 --> 00:27:29,649
which took home a worldwide
gross of $214 million,
678
00:27:29,649 --> 00:27:32,819
with a measly production
budget of 50 million,
679
00:27:32,819 --> 00:27:36,197
just like Bumblebee it was
a financial and critical hit.
680
00:27:36,364 --> 00:27:37,824
Steven could do drama,
681
00:27:37,824 --> 00:27:40,118
but could he recreate Bay Era
action?
682
00:27:41,870 --> 00:27:44,706
Which is exactly what
producer di Bonaventura
683
00:27:44,706 --> 00:27:46,374
thought was missing from
Bumblebee
684
00:27:46,374 --> 00:27:49,294
so their new director
brought in his writers
685
00:27:49,544 --> 00:27:52,213
to blow up the script, in a good
way.
686
00:27:52,213 --> 00:27:54,716
They told us they wanted
to have a bold vision
687
00:27:54,716 --> 00:27:57,844
with Transformers and open
it up, make it a bigger scope,
688
00:27:57,969 --> 00:27:59,220
add a little bit more world
building.
689
00:27:59,471 --> 00:28:01,306
[Narrator] A lot more world
building.
690
00:28:01,306 --> 00:28:03,975
The producers wanted
Rise of the Beasts
691
00:28:03,975 --> 00:28:05,352
to build on Bumblebee
692
00:28:05,477 --> 00:28:07,228
and connect to the Bay Films.
693
00:28:07,228 --> 00:28:10,231
It was an explosive page one
rewrite
694
00:28:10,231 --> 00:28:11,816
that would take time to craft.
695
00:28:12,067 --> 00:28:14,235
We looked at it as
kind of an origin story
696
00:28:14,235 --> 00:28:17,655
to Transformers growing to love
Earth,
697
00:28:17,781 --> 00:28:19,949
and wanting to also bring
in a lot of elements
698
00:28:20,075 --> 00:28:22,369
from the 1986 version of
Transformers.
699
00:28:22,369 --> 00:28:23,703
Look, it's Unicron.
700
00:28:24,579 --> 00:28:27,374
[Narrator] Specifically a
planetary-size transformer
701
00:28:27,374 --> 00:28:30,710
from the G1 cartoon who eats
planets.
702
00:28:30,835 --> 00:28:32,253
Unicron, when can we bring
Unicron in?
703
00:28:32,420 --> 00:28:33,838
How can we see more of this?
704
00:28:33,963 --> 00:28:36,049
Awaken, almighty Unicron.
705
00:28:36,174 --> 00:28:38,259
Your time has come.
706
00:28:38,259 --> 00:28:41,137
[Narrator] Rise of the Beasts
was becoming a beast,
707
00:28:41,137 --> 00:28:43,932
all the world building, world
devouring,
708
00:28:44,057 --> 00:28:47,394
and bridging and sequel,
prequeling, and homaging,
709
00:28:47,519 --> 00:28:51,940
was a lot to cram into a
120 something page script.
710
00:28:52,065 --> 00:28:53,692
Well, at least with ILM,
711
00:28:53,692 --> 00:28:56,403
they wouldn't have to
worry about visual effects.
712
00:28:56,403 --> 00:28:58,071
{\an8}We couldn't do it.
713
00:28:58,196 --> 00:28:59,948
{\an8}[Narrator] Paramount wanted to
premiere
714
00:29:00,073 --> 00:29:02,992
Rise of the Beasts in June of
2022,
715
00:29:02,992 --> 00:29:06,705
which only gave ILM
one year to do the VFX.
716
00:29:06,705 --> 00:29:08,707
ILM was super busy
at that point as well,
717
00:29:08,707 --> 00:29:10,125
coming in on off the back of
COVID.
718
00:29:10,125 --> 00:29:11,376
They basically turned
around and said like,
719
00:29:11,501 --> 00:29:13,753
"We're too busy.
The budget's not big enough.
720
00:29:13,753 --> 00:29:15,296
We don't have enough time to do
it."
721
00:29:15,422 --> 00:29:17,841
You know, you just couldn't
quite make it all work.
722
00:29:17,966 --> 00:29:20,927
[Narrator] ILM wouldn't bite
on the condensed schedule,
723
00:29:20,927 --> 00:29:22,303
but luckily over in London...
724
00:29:25,432 --> 00:29:28,852
{\an8}...the Moving Picture Company
was ready to take it on.
725
00:29:28,977 --> 00:29:31,187
Beast Wars, I didn't really
look into it too much.
726
00:29:31,354 --> 00:29:33,231
[Narrator] Maybe they weren't
ready.
727
00:29:33,231 --> 00:29:34,399
I was aware of it,
728
00:29:34,524 --> 00:29:36,359
but not something that
I was a huge fan of.
729
00:29:36,651 --> 00:29:38,987
[Narrator] Transformers
had a new director
730
00:29:39,112 --> 00:29:41,990
and a new script that
was bursting at the seams
731
00:29:42,115 --> 00:29:44,409
with a new VFX company in
London.
732
00:29:44,409 --> 00:29:47,245
Still the producers had a clear
direction.
733
00:29:47,370 --> 00:29:48,997
So they wanted a bit of a
balance
734
00:29:49,122 --> 00:29:52,125
between what Michael Bay
had done for his franchise
735
00:29:53,793 --> 00:29:55,336
and Bumblebee as well.
736
00:29:55,462 --> 00:29:56,463
What are you?
737
00:29:57,005 --> 00:29:58,840
So it was a bit of a
mishmash between the both
738
00:29:58,840 --> 00:30:00,342
to try and get that sweet spot.
739
00:30:00,467 --> 00:30:02,177
[Narrator] The producers were
convinced
740
00:30:02,427 --> 00:30:05,096
that the sweet spot between
explosions
741
00:30:05,096 --> 00:30:06,848
and a heartfelt storyline
742
00:30:06,848 --> 00:30:09,267
would make Rise of the Beasts a
hit.
743
00:30:09,267 --> 00:30:12,771
But the timeline for the
VFX wasn't sweet at all.
744
00:30:12,771 --> 00:30:14,314
We were actually briefed
saying that,
745
00:30:14,314 --> 00:30:15,857
"You have one year to complete
it,"
746
00:30:15,857 --> 00:30:17,776
which is a very, very condensed
timeline
747
00:30:17,901 --> 00:30:19,277
for a film of that scale.
748
00:30:19,402 --> 00:30:21,112
These are my fellow Maximals.
749
00:30:21,112 --> 00:30:22,781
The Maximals were very
interesting
750
00:30:23,073 --> 00:30:25,950
because they were the thing
that made this film unique.
751
00:30:25,950 --> 00:30:29,037
Our leader, Optimus Primal.
752
00:30:29,037 --> 00:30:30,372
[Narrator] That name rings a
bell.
753
00:30:30,497 --> 00:30:32,123
- Autobots, roll out.
- Roll out.
754
00:30:33,917 --> 00:30:35,877
[Narrator] So how did MPC come
up
755
00:30:36,002 --> 00:30:38,505
with such an OP design for
Optimus Primal?
756
00:30:38,505 --> 00:30:41,508
Basically, we were told, giant
gorilla,
757
00:30:41,633 --> 00:30:43,093
[Optimus Primal roars]
758
00:30:43,218 --> 00:30:45,845
and he's almost always
in his actual beast mode.
759
00:30:46,054 --> 00:30:47,222
[Narrator] As for the human
actors,
760
00:30:47,222 --> 00:30:49,224
Dominique Fishback was cast as
761
00:30:49,349 --> 00:30:52,018
the budding young
archaeologist, Elena Wallace.
762
00:30:52,143 --> 00:30:54,145
Are you even pushing?
763
00:30:54,145 --> 00:30:55,772
Yeah, I'm pushing.
764
00:30:55,772 --> 00:30:58,316
[Narrator] And Anthony
Ramos would play Noah Diaz.
765
00:30:58,441 --> 00:31:00,860
Don't forget to laugh
at all their jokes.
766
00:31:00,860 --> 00:31:01,987
White people love that shit.
767
00:31:01,987 --> 00:31:04,072
[characters laugh]
768
00:31:05,573 --> 00:31:07,409
[Narrator] But with
all of these additions,
769
00:31:07,409 --> 00:31:11,538
there was a major subtraction
from Rise of the Beasts.
770
00:31:11,538 --> 00:31:13,957
Well, well, who have we got
here?
771
00:31:13,957 --> 00:31:16,084
For this film, they
wanted to change it up,
772
00:31:16,084 --> 00:31:17,252
they didn't want Bumblebee
in the spotlight,
773
00:31:17,377 --> 00:31:19,838
they wanted Mirage to be in the
spotlight.
774
00:31:19,838 --> 00:31:21,172
The name's Mirage.
775
00:31:21,506 --> 00:31:23,299
There you go, now we're friends.
776
00:31:23,508 --> 00:31:24,884
Pete Davidson, wow.
777
00:31:25,176 --> 00:31:27,887
Optimus, hey man, you looking
good.
778
00:31:28,012 --> 00:31:29,389
I think it's informative
casting of like,
779
00:31:29,389 --> 00:31:32,517
who can we hire to be legit
excited
780
00:31:32,517 --> 00:31:34,436
about being in a Transformers
movie,
781
00:31:34,561 --> 00:31:36,855
and would bring in a new crowd
of people?
782
00:31:36,980 --> 00:31:39,024
[Narrator] Mirage not
Bumblebee,
783
00:31:39,149 --> 00:31:40,900
was the new face of the
franchise.
784
00:31:40,900 --> 00:31:42,861
I like that, I like it a lot.
785
00:31:43,111 --> 00:31:45,280
I'd seen Pete Davidson
on Saturday Night Live,
786
00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:47,073
but I was like, oh, you know,
Mirage,
787
00:31:47,073 --> 00:31:48,283
he's a wise cracker,
788
00:31:48,408 --> 00:31:50,368
but his character has some real
gravitas,
789
00:31:50,368 --> 00:31:52,078
especially towards the end,
790
00:31:52,078 --> 00:31:53,288
what's that gonna look like?
791
00:31:53,538 --> 00:31:55,582
Autobots, roll out.
792
00:31:55,707 --> 00:31:58,126
Pete Davidson brought this
different kind of energy
793
00:31:58,126 --> 00:31:59,919
and enthusiasm to the character.
794
00:32:00,045 --> 00:32:01,046
He didn't treat ET like
this.
795
00:32:01,171 --> 00:32:02,297
[laughs]
796
00:32:02,422 --> 00:32:04,382
If they wanted to
keep the emotional heart
797
00:32:04,382 --> 00:32:08,303
and weight of the Bumblebee
story into Beast Wars
798
00:32:08,428 --> 00:32:10,138
they negated that the second
they hired
799
00:32:10,138 --> 00:32:12,015
a comedian to do one liners.
800
00:32:12,307 --> 00:32:14,517
Cross my spark and hope to
die.
801
00:32:14,517 --> 00:32:16,936
Wow, that was corny
when I said it out loud.
802
00:32:23,276 --> 00:32:24,319
[Narrator] The fifth
installment
803
00:32:24,319 --> 00:32:26,029
of the Transformers franchise,
804
00:32:26,154 --> 00:32:30,158
Rise of the Beasts had big
and small shoes to fill.
805
00:32:30,158 --> 00:32:32,911
I think that we have an
opportunity here
806
00:32:32,911 --> 00:32:35,914
to start a anew and
develop our relationship.
807
00:32:36,039 --> 00:32:37,499
{\an8}So it was a little bit of
both,
808
00:32:37,499 --> 00:32:39,250
they wanted what Michael Bay had
done
809
00:32:39,250 --> 00:32:42,003
and what Knight had done
for Bumblebee as well.
810
00:32:42,796 --> 00:32:45,340
[Narrator] But there was some
confusion
811
00:32:45,340 --> 00:32:47,133
as to what it actually was.
812
00:32:47,384 --> 00:32:49,469
We knew this was the
continuation of The Transformers
813
00:32:49,469 --> 00:32:52,555
but also somewhat of a reboot
as well.
814
00:32:52,681 --> 00:32:54,933
[Narrator] So, sequel?
Reboot?
815
00:32:54,933 --> 00:32:58,436
Or that mysterious gray area
where studios like to live?
816
00:32:58,561 --> 00:33:01,940
Canon for Bumblebee
and also the 2007 series.
817
00:33:02,232 --> 00:33:04,651
It needed to be seven
years after Bumblebee
818
00:33:04,776 --> 00:33:07,278
but we had to keep the
continuity of the Bay Verse.
819
00:33:07,404 --> 00:33:09,114
It was a little bit
of a gray area for us,
820
00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:10,865
which was a bit weird.
821
00:33:10,865 --> 00:33:12,325
What the hell am I looking at?
822
00:33:12,450 --> 00:33:13,493
{\an8}[Narrator] Rise of the Beasts
823
00:33:13,493 --> 00:33:16,079
{\an8}needed to thread a rather narrow
needle
824
00:33:16,079 --> 00:33:18,540
{\an8}to tie the Transformers
universes together,
825
00:33:18,665 --> 00:33:21,584
{\an8}and finally launch its cinematic
universe.
826
00:33:21,751 --> 00:33:24,546
♪ Cash rules everything around
me C.R.E.A.M. get ♪
827
00:33:24,546 --> 00:33:26,423
Principal photography began
828
00:33:26,548 --> 00:33:29,968
on June 7th, 2021 in Los
Angeles,
829
00:33:29,968 --> 00:33:31,386
then moved to New York City,
830
00:33:31,511 --> 00:33:34,556
technically it was Montreal
doubling as Brooklyn.
831
00:33:34,681 --> 00:33:36,391
And just a few weeks into
filming,
832
00:33:36,391 --> 00:33:38,560
Paramount announced
that Rise of the Beasts
833
00:33:38,893 --> 00:33:43,231
would premiere the following
year on June 24th, 2022.
834
00:33:43,231 --> 00:33:45,191
None of the Transformers
films in history
835
00:33:45,317 --> 00:33:46,067
were made in one year,
836
00:33:46,067 --> 00:33:48,069
so I don't know why they thought
this one
837
00:33:48,194 --> 00:33:49,529
they would be able to make in
one year.
838
00:33:49,529 --> 00:33:52,073
[Narrator] After wrapping
in New York, Canada,
839
00:33:52,073 --> 00:33:57,037
the cast and crew flew to
Peru in early October of 2021,
840
00:33:57,162 --> 00:33:59,289
on time and on schedule.
841
00:33:59,414 --> 00:34:01,249
Crew morale was high heading
into Peru
842
00:34:01,249 --> 00:34:03,668
and it looked like they were
gonna make their deadline.
843
00:34:03,668 --> 00:34:06,421
[Narrator] Even with no VFX
experience,
844
00:34:06,421 --> 00:34:09,132
the looming one year
deadline seemed attainable
845
00:34:09,382 --> 00:34:11,259
for new director, Steven.
846
00:34:11,259 --> 00:34:13,762
He even had master of the Bay
Verse,
847
00:34:13,762 --> 00:34:16,431
executive producer
Michael Bay in his corner.
848
00:34:16,431 --> 00:34:18,725
But the weather was
unpredictable
849
00:34:18,725 --> 00:34:21,353
and shut down filming for days
on end.
850
00:34:23,021 --> 00:34:24,981
It keeps raining and stopping
and raining and stopping.
851
00:34:24,981 --> 00:34:27,442
[Narrator] And what threatened
to sink the production
852
00:34:27,442 --> 00:34:29,652
was the unpredictable storyline.
853
00:34:29,652 --> 00:34:31,237
Every week there was a new
script.
854
00:34:31,237 --> 00:34:33,239
Every week there were
new scenes that we never--
855
00:34:33,365 --> 00:34:36,117
So we would plan for
something and the next week,
856
00:34:36,117 --> 00:34:37,744
everything I planned to the
trash,
857
00:34:37,744 --> 00:34:39,788
let's plan for something else.
858
00:34:39,788 --> 00:34:42,082
[Narrator] The production
was falling behind
859
00:34:42,207 --> 00:34:45,210
and the changes were
coming from di Bonaventura.
860
00:34:45,210 --> 00:34:46,670
I think Lorenzo wanted a
bigger scope.
861
00:34:46,878 --> 00:34:48,254
Maximize.
862
00:34:48,588 --> 00:34:52,384
He want a lot of
robots, much more robots.
863
00:34:53,802 --> 00:34:56,262
He want a lot of fights,
864
00:34:56,262 --> 00:34:58,139
and much closer to a Michael Bay
movie.
865
00:34:58,139 --> 00:34:59,599
It was huge, it was much bigger
than,
866
00:34:59,599 --> 00:35:02,143
much bigger than Bumblebee.
867
00:35:02,143 --> 00:35:04,270
[Narrator] The original
plan for Rise of the Beasts
868
00:35:04,396 --> 00:35:06,398
was to keep what worked in
Bumblebee.
869
00:35:06,398 --> 00:35:09,401
Thank you you for giving me my
voice.
870
00:35:09,401 --> 00:35:11,194
[Narrator] And then
take the action up a notch
871
00:35:11,528 --> 00:35:13,321
to satisfy the Bay Verse fans.
872
00:35:14,364 --> 00:35:17,283
I have come here to kick ass.
873
00:35:17,492 --> 00:35:18,743
But somewhere along the line,
874
00:35:18,868 --> 00:35:20,662
they just cranked up the
spectacle.
875
00:35:23,581 --> 00:35:24,624
It was very complicated.
876
00:35:24,916 --> 00:35:28,211
At the end we did it, but it was
not easy,
877
00:35:28,336 --> 00:35:29,421
it was not easy at all.
878
00:35:29,713 --> 00:35:31,756
{\an8}[Narrator] Miraculously,
Rise of the Beasts
879
00:35:31,756 --> 00:35:35,427
{\an8}completed filming on October
20th, 2021,
880
00:35:35,552 --> 00:35:38,096
{\an8}on time, but over budget.
881
00:35:38,221 --> 00:35:40,473
{\an8}The script changes blew up the
production,
882
00:35:40,598 --> 00:35:43,560
but they had even greater
financial consequences
883
00:35:43,685 --> 00:35:46,604
for the VFX House back in
London, MPC.
884
00:35:49,274 --> 00:35:50,525
{\an8}These things are costly, you
know?
885
00:35:50,525 --> 00:35:53,028
{\an8}You can change one simple
thing in the story,
886
00:35:53,028 --> 00:35:54,612
{\an8}and for you it might just be
writing
887
00:35:54,612 --> 00:35:57,240
a couple lines of script,
but down the line,
888
00:35:57,365 --> 00:35:59,784
that could be tens of millions
of dollars in VFX changes.
889
00:36:00,118 --> 00:36:03,204
[Narrator] MPC had
just one year to complete
890
00:36:03,204 --> 00:36:05,248
the visual effects for
Rise of the Beasts.
891
00:36:05,498 --> 00:36:08,626
So spending time and
money on deleted scenes
892
00:36:08,626 --> 00:36:12,213
put the 2022 Premier in serious
jeopardy.
893
00:36:12,213 --> 00:36:15,133
Meanwhile, there were
other bigger problems.
894
00:36:15,133 --> 00:36:16,301
The big plane.
895
00:36:18,428 --> 00:36:19,721
Oh God.
896
00:36:20,055 --> 00:36:23,308
Stratosphere, he was by
far our biggest character.
897
00:36:23,308 --> 00:36:25,185
Lord of the skies.
898
00:36:25,185 --> 00:36:26,686
He was actually such a big
character
899
00:36:26,811 --> 00:36:29,647
that our technology systems
couldn't actually handle him.
900
00:36:29,647 --> 00:36:31,316
There was actually a lot of back
and forth
901
00:36:31,316 --> 00:36:32,650
between us and the software team
902
00:36:32,776 --> 00:36:35,320
to upgrade our technology
systems
903
00:36:35,320 --> 00:36:36,655
to actually pump him through.
904
00:36:38,365 --> 00:36:39,699
Yeah, I'm walking to Peru.
905
00:36:39,699 --> 00:36:42,202
[Narrator] Deleted scenes
and costly tech upgrades
906
00:36:42,202 --> 00:36:44,704
were a painful setback for MPC,
907
00:36:44,704 --> 00:36:49,125
but Michelle Yeoh's Metallic
Golden Eagle was pure agony.
908
00:36:49,250 --> 00:36:52,754
Airazor was the biggest
pain for this entire film.
909
00:36:55,256 --> 00:36:57,092
She had the least developed
concept art,
910
00:36:57,092 --> 00:36:58,885
just basically a very rough
sketch.
911
00:36:58,885 --> 00:37:00,512
What is this symbol?
912
00:37:00,512 --> 00:37:04,265
It is the Maximal crest,
it is all that I have left.
913
00:37:04,265 --> 00:37:06,518
We spent a lot of time
redesigning
914
00:37:06,518 --> 00:37:08,186
the concept art that we were
given,
915
00:37:08,186 --> 00:37:09,854
and no one was happy with it
916
00:37:09,980 --> 00:37:11,898
because she looked like
a big golden pigeon.
917
00:37:12,023 --> 00:37:13,525
But I'll be all right.
918
00:37:13,733 --> 00:37:15,610
I personally spent nearly a
year
919
00:37:15,610 --> 00:37:16,861
just on that one character.
920
00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:23,284
[Narrator] But MPC had only
one year to do all of the VFX.
921
00:37:23,284 --> 00:37:25,120
As we started building the
characters
922
00:37:25,245 --> 00:37:27,205
and we started doing the
things that we needed to do,
923
00:37:27,205 --> 00:37:29,165
the studio, Paramount, actually
realized
924
00:37:29,290 --> 00:37:31,251
that this is not possible
in one year.
925
00:37:31,584 --> 00:37:33,628
[Narrator] In November of
2021,
926
00:37:33,628 --> 00:37:36,214
{\an8}Paramount announced
that Rise of the Beasts
927
00:37:36,339 --> 00:37:40,135
{\an8}would be delayed a full
year to June, 2023.
928
00:37:40,135 --> 00:37:42,220
{\an8}This caused a ripple effect
across
929
00:37:42,387 --> 00:37:43,930
{\an8}Paramount's release schedule,
930
00:37:43,930 --> 00:37:47,308
and when the film limped
into theaters that summer,
931
00:37:47,308 --> 00:37:49,811
COVID still had the world on
pause.
932
00:37:49,936 --> 00:37:52,355
Ticket sales were down for all
the studios
933
00:37:52,522 --> 00:37:55,400
as moviegoers stayed home and
stayed safe.
934
00:37:55,650 --> 00:37:58,778
Director Steven had survived
the Peruvian Jungle,
935
00:37:59,029 --> 00:38:02,532
massive script changes
and unrealistic deadlines.
936
00:38:02,657 --> 00:38:04,326
Everything that he
went through to actually
937
00:38:04,326 --> 00:38:07,245
get this thing made is
an incredible success
938
00:38:07,245 --> 00:38:09,247
on that part from the
financial standpoint.
939
00:38:09,539 --> 00:38:11,458
[Narrator] But ultimately,
Rise of the Beasts
940
00:38:11,583 --> 00:38:13,710
couldn't survive its target
audience.
941
00:38:13,835 --> 00:38:16,338
Fans didn't really care about
the direction it was going,
942
00:38:16,463 --> 00:38:17,756
and I don't think Michael Bay
even cared
943
00:38:17,881 --> 00:38:19,507
about the direction that
it was going either.
944
00:38:19,632 --> 00:38:22,302
I didn't hear anything about
Michael Bay
945
00:38:22,302 --> 00:38:24,637
or Steven's involvement in this
film,
946
00:38:24,637 --> 00:38:26,598
and I think that really shows
in the Box Office as well.
947
00:38:26,806 --> 00:38:30,226
[Ad] The Transformers will
return after these messages.
948
00:38:33,938 --> 00:38:36,858
[Narrator] Rise of the Beasts
was a Bumblebee sequel
949
00:38:36,858 --> 00:38:38,610
meant to reboot the franchise,
950
00:38:38,902 --> 00:38:41,446
connect the Bay verse to the
Bumble verse,
951
00:38:41,446 --> 00:38:44,366
and finally launch its
own cinematic universe.
952
00:38:44,532 --> 00:38:45,575
{\an8}Paramount pinned the future
953
00:38:45,700 --> 00:38:47,702
{\an8}of the franchise on Rise of
the Beasts.
954
00:38:47,869 --> 00:38:50,538
They needed the movie to
do a lot of things at once,
955
00:38:50,538 --> 00:38:53,458
and I think that was the
cause of the downfall.
956
00:38:53,625 --> 00:38:55,335
[Narrator] So with lofty
goals,
957
00:38:55,460 --> 00:38:59,047
{\an8}Rise of the Beasts
premiered on June 9th, 2023,
958
00:38:59,297 --> 00:39:03,385
{\an8}but grossed just 442 million
worldwide.
959
00:39:03,385 --> 00:39:04,969
Close to what Bumblebee
grossed
960
00:39:05,095 --> 00:39:07,889
but on a Bay budget of 200
million,
961
00:39:07,889 --> 00:39:10,433
{\an8}it was the lowest
grossing live action film
962
00:39:10,558 --> 00:39:11,935
{\an8}in franchise history.
963
00:39:12,060 --> 00:39:13,478
{\an8}And there were reasons,
964
00:39:13,478 --> 00:39:16,314
starting with no Michael
at the helm.
965
00:39:16,314 --> 00:39:18,733
{\an8}He knows how to make a
film that is marketable,
966
00:39:18,983 --> 00:39:20,527
{\an8}a massive blockbuster.
967
00:39:20,527 --> 00:39:23,905
{\an8}He makes his movies for
the movie-going audience.
968
00:39:23,905 --> 00:39:25,907
{\an8}Wants to entertain,
969
00:39:25,907 --> 00:39:27,659
and he's relentless about that.
970
00:39:27,659 --> 00:39:28,994
Jacques, make it more
interesting,
971
00:39:29,119 --> 00:39:30,954
your first frame, it's
pretty boring, dude.
972
00:39:30,954 --> 00:39:33,707
He's a master at
creating these experiences.
973
00:39:33,832 --> 00:39:35,625
Just wondering what the [beep]
you're doing standing around.
974
00:39:35,750 --> 00:39:36,918
Let's get to work, okay?
975
00:39:38,586 --> 00:39:40,588
This film, I don't think
we can say the same thing.
976
00:39:40,922 --> 00:39:42,465
By Bay Verse standards,
977
00:39:42,590 --> 00:39:44,926
Rise of the Beasts was
a financial failure.
978
00:39:45,135 --> 00:39:46,886
The response was "meh."
979
00:39:47,012 --> 00:39:49,347
I mean, nobody hated it,
but nobody loved it either.
980
00:39:49,347 --> 00:39:52,809
They didn't really
have a super clear vision
981
00:39:52,934 --> 00:39:54,018
for what they wanted.
982
00:39:54,185 --> 00:39:57,063
It was a lot of movie,
I think, for two hours.
983
00:39:57,063 --> 00:39:59,607
[Narrator] The movie
aimed to unify the series
984
00:40:01,943 --> 00:40:03,403
[Arcee screams]
985
00:40:04,070 --> 00:40:07,532
while resurrecting characters
from a 90s franchise.
986
00:40:07,657 --> 00:40:08,742
Who are you?
987
00:40:08,742 --> 00:40:10,410
[Narrator] And an earth eating
villain
988
00:40:10,535 --> 00:40:12,329
from the G1 universe.
989
00:40:12,871 --> 00:40:14,789
All these things didn't
really make much sense,
990
00:40:14,789 --> 00:40:16,666
didn't really carry much weight.
991
00:40:16,791 --> 00:40:18,126
Like, more, more, more,
maybe isn't always better.
992
00:40:18,293 --> 00:40:20,920
Everybody just kept getting,
some would say, greedy.
993
00:40:21,087 --> 00:40:22,797
"If we just throw more and more
in,
994
00:40:22,922 --> 00:40:25,050
we have more opportunity
to do more stuff."
995
00:40:27,177 --> 00:40:30,513
And they rushed it,
that's a big mistake.
996
00:40:30,722 --> 00:40:33,600
I never should have
taken us so far from home.
997
00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:35,060
[Narrator] The lackluster Box
Office,
998
00:40:35,185 --> 00:40:36,853
and lack of fan interest,
999
00:40:36,978 --> 00:40:40,648
plus Paramount's $8 billion
merger with Skydance
1000
00:40:40,774 --> 00:40:42,400
signaled trouble for the
franchise
1001
00:40:42,734 --> 00:40:44,569
and the end of Paramount's hopes
1002
00:40:44,569 --> 00:40:46,738
for the Transformers cinematic
universe.
1003
00:40:46,905 --> 00:40:48,406
{\an8}Still a fan of Transformers,
1004
00:40:48,406 --> 00:40:51,868
{\an8}but the movie universe just
doesn't have the story,
1005
00:40:51,993 --> 00:40:55,997
connective tissue that I
look for in a franchise.
1006
00:40:56,122 --> 00:40:57,999
The most successful cinematic
universes
1007
00:40:57,999 --> 00:41:00,377
are universes where there's
a lot of different things
1008
00:41:00,377 --> 00:41:02,462
happening in different
worlds, different characters,
1009
00:41:02,587 --> 00:41:04,714
completely different things,
and you can tie them together.
1010
00:41:05,048 --> 00:41:06,633
{\an8}There has to be an overarching
theme
1011
00:41:06,633 --> 00:41:07,759
{\an8}across all of the films,
1012
00:41:08,009 --> 00:41:09,844
which I think Transformers
doesn't have.
1013
00:41:09,969 --> 00:41:12,389
You haven't heard the last of
Megatron.
1014
00:41:12,722 --> 00:41:14,974
[Narrator] So is the
dream of a live action
1015
00:41:15,100 --> 00:41:16,559
Transformers universe...
1016
00:41:16,684 --> 00:41:18,770
That's probably just a dumb
old dream.
1017
00:41:18,895 --> 00:41:19,854
[Narrator] ...really over?
1018
00:41:19,854 --> 00:41:22,107
Hang on to your dreams, Chip.
1019
00:41:22,107 --> 00:41:24,734
The future is built on dreams.
1020
00:41:24,734 --> 00:41:26,486
Hang on.
1021
00:41:26,486 --> 00:41:28,405
I think they need a very
strong reboot,
1022
00:41:28,530 --> 00:41:31,032
nothing to do with any of the
films that currently exist,
1023
00:41:31,157 --> 00:41:32,826
get a fresh take on the
franchise.
1024
00:41:33,034 --> 00:41:35,870
{\an8}You might wanna wait a little
while,
1025
00:41:35,870 --> 00:41:38,915
{\an8}see how the industry kind of
shifts.
1026
00:41:39,124 --> 00:41:42,836
Hasbro has learned it's
constant change
1027
00:41:42,961 --> 00:41:44,462
that we're living in.
1028
00:41:44,879 --> 00:41:47,465
{\an8}So, you've
gotta measure the market,
1029
00:41:47,465 --> 00:41:50,468
{\an8}and know when's the next time
you get to reinvent yourself.
1030
00:41:50,593 --> 00:41:51,803
[Narrator] Because after all,
1031
00:41:51,803 --> 00:41:54,889
transformation is what
endeared us to the toys,
1032
00:41:54,889 --> 00:41:57,517
the cartoon, and the
comics in the first place.
1033
00:41:57,684 --> 00:42:01,479
{\an8}It's about the stuff
of life, transformation.
1034
00:42:01,896 --> 00:42:04,149
Wait, I still function .
1035
00:42:04,149 --> 00:42:07,068
Transforming is what we do.
1036
00:42:07,193 --> 00:42:09,779
That is what we wish to do as
children.
1037
00:42:09,779 --> 00:42:11,906
Every kid recognizes that.
1038
00:42:11,906 --> 00:42:13,158
That's the appeal.
1039
00:42:15,618 --> 00:42:17,746
And the toys are great.
1040
00:42:17,746 --> 00:42:20,749
The secret of its success
is basically the toy itself
1041
00:42:20,749 --> 00:42:22,959
and the storyline that's
been developed around it
1042
00:42:22,959 --> 00:42:25,253
that pulls people in and
they just wanna know
1043
00:42:25,253 --> 00:42:27,839
{\an8}more and more
about these crazy characters.
1044
00:42:27,839 --> 00:42:30,175
We grew up on 'em. Our kids
are gonna grow up on 'em.
1045
00:42:30,175 --> 00:42:31,676
Their kids are gonna
grow up on 'em.
1046
00:42:31,676 --> 00:42:33,553
And it speaks to the strength of
1047
00:42:33,678 --> 00:42:34,679
the initial characters
1048
00:42:34,679 --> 00:42:35,847
that were conceived
in the cartoon.
1049
00:42:35,847 --> 00:42:37,682
It's over, Prime.
1050
00:42:37,974 --> 00:42:40,810
I never thought and ever
imagined back in the 1980s
1051
00:42:40,810 --> 00:42:41,978
when I was working on this
1052
00:42:41,978 --> 00:42:44,731
that I would still be talking
about it 40 years later.
1053
00:42:45,023 --> 00:42:46,608
{\an8}We didn't know that it would
have a life
1054
00:42:46,608 --> 00:42:48,693
{\an8}that would go on decade after
decade.
1055
00:42:48,902 --> 00:42:52,739
{\an8}I realize that whatever
it was we did, it resonated.
1056
00:42:52,947 --> 00:42:54,491
[transforming beeps]
1057
00:42:54,491 --> 00:42:57,118
[Narrator] The Transformers
rolled out in the 80s,
1058
00:42:58,036 --> 00:43:01,748
and four decades later
they're still trucking.
1059
00:43:02,082 --> 00:43:03,666
[clanging metal]
1060
00:43:04,167 --> 00:43:07,045
A creative achievement shared by
everyone
1061
00:43:07,045 --> 00:43:10,632
who shaped the Transformers
universe along the way.
1062
00:43:10,632 --> 00:43:11,925
A lot of people take credit
1063
00:43:12,050 --> 00:43:14,803
{\an8}for creating The Transformers
1064
00:43:14,803 --> 00:43:17,764
{\an8}and the truth is that a lot
of people had a part in it.
1065
00:43:18,431 --> 00:43:19,933
Whatever we did at the
beginning,
1066
00:43:20,225 --> 00:43:22,227
whatever we infected that with,
it stuck,
1067
00:43:22,352 --> 00:43:24,562
'cause everybody seemed
to love it and care,
1068
00:43:24,813 --> 00:43:26,189
and make it mean something.
1069
00:43:27,732 --> 00:43:29,985
And so, good job, everybody.
1070
00:43:30,944 --> 00:43:33,697
[gentle music]
1071
00:43:37,992 --> 00:43:41,162
[tense upbeat music]
1072
00:43:57,679 --> 00:43:59,097
[upbeat music]