Marvel more or less revolutionized blockbuster cinema by pioneering what we now call a “Cinematic Universe,” and now everyone wants in.
They certainly weren’t the first to the party though. After all, Star Wars‘ Expanded Universe had a 30 year head start on them (although following the Lucasfilm acquisition by Disney, that doesn’t mean as much anymore). Despite that, what Marvel has managed to do with its connected universe of movies and TV shows has never been attempted on this scale, or with as much success.
Given Marvel’s estimated $7.1 billion in box office revenue, every major studio is clamoring to mirror their formula. Fox is beefing up its superhero universe with more X-Men movies, a Fantastic Four reboot, and Deadpool; Universal has the Fast and the Furious series going on, and Sony has more or less given up and thrown its hat in with Marvel.
Looking at their competition, it seems Paramount wants in on this bandwagon too, and are reportedly investing a ton of money into developing a Cinematic Universe for… the Transformers series.
Transformers Cinematic Universe
According to recent reports, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman is in negotiations to assemble a brain trust at Paramount dedicated to developing the Transformers series.
The goal will be to create a series of sequels and spin-offs that all take place in the same universe. These movies will be overseen by executive producers Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg, and Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and at least Transformers 5 will be directed by Bay himself.
We don’t know much about the next film in the series (as far as we know, a script isn’t even in progress), but we do know that Paramount is aiming for 2016 or 2017 for a release. Bay is currently shooting a film called 13 Hours, but once that wraps, his schedule will open up again.
That likely means that the studio will want to have their Cinematic Universe plan in place before then, so expect to hear more in the next few months.
In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed for that long-rumored G.I. Joe / Transformers crossover…
