One of the many films to world premiere footage at CinemaCon last week was directorTravis Knight’sTransformersspinoff,Bumblebee. Unlike theMichael BayTransformersmovies which always took place chronologically,Bumblebeeis a prequel that takes place in 1987. In addition, unlike the previous films which always had a male protagonist,BumblebeestarsHailee Steinfeldas the lead human role and is said to be more in line with a coming-of-age/teen movie with Bumblebee featuring as one of the only major Transformers in the film. When we recently spoke toSteinfeld she told us:
“It’s very character and storyline driven, which is a bit different, but it still has the elements thatTransformersfans love and will see in the movie… I play a character named Charlie Watson, who is a mechanic. She’s in high school. [She’s] incredibly unique and strong and has – something I love about her is that a lot of people tend to underestimate her knowledge and she continuously proves herself and what she knows and creates this incredible relationship with this Transformer.”
As I said in myParamount CinemaCon panel recap, the studio showed a cool looking scene where Steinfeld and Bumblebee meet each other for the first time and then a montage of action which featured Bumblebee kicking a lot of ass. Also, the footage revealed two other Transformers, both of which looked like antagonists. While it’s too early to judge an entire film on a little bit of footage, I did like what the studio showed and I think they’re on the right path.
Shortly before getting to see the footage, I got a few minutes on the red carpet withJohn Cenaand director Travis Knight. Had I seen the footage before doing these interviews my questions would have been different, but you may still see the two of them talking about the film and what fans should be looking forward to. Also, Knight promises Easter eggs and how the spinoff connectsBumblebeeto the films Michael Bay has done but that the film stands on its own. He went on to say you don’t have to know anything about Transformers to enjoy the film.
Check out what they both had to say below. Scripted byChristina Hodson(Unforgettable), the film also starsPamela Adlonand opens in theaters on July 23, 2025.
Finally, I’d like to apologize for the audio. It’s not great. I won’t bore you with the reasons why. Just know if you’ve never watched a Collider interview this is not the norm.
Travis Knight:
John Cena:
