Bumblebee (film)

Bumblebee is an upcoming American science fiction action film centered around the Transformers character of the same name. It is the sixth installment of the live-action Transformers film series and a prequel to 2007's Transformers. The film is directed by Travis Knight and written by Christina Hodson and Kelly Fremon Craig, and stars Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Ortiz, Jason Drucker, and Pamela Adlon. It is also the first live-action Transformers film not to be directed by Michael Bay, though he still acts as a producer.

Principal photography on the film began on July 31, 2017, in Los Angeles and San Francisco, California. Bumblebee is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 21, 2018 in 3D.

Synopsis
Twenty years before the events of the first film, in 1987, Bumblebee takes refuge in a small California beach town junkyard, where a teenage girl named Charlie Watson takes him in. However, the two of them soon find themselves hunted by a government agency known as Sector 7, led by Agent Burns. As they run from society, the two learn that Bee isn't the only Transformer on Earth, and that the others might not be as friendly.

Humans

 * Hailee Steinfeld as Charlie Watson, a teenage girl who finds and befriends Bumblebee
 * John Cena as Burns, an agent of Sector 7
 * Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as Memo, Charlie's friend
 * John Ortiz as Powell, an agent of Sector 7
 * Jason Drucker as Otis Watson, Charlie's younger brother
 * Pamela Adlon as Charlie’s mother
 * Rachel Crow
 * Abby Quinn
 * Gracie Dzienny
 * Ricardo Hoyos
 * Kenneth Choi
 * Stephen Schneider
 * Rory Markham as Adams, an agent of Sector 7
 * Len Cariou

Autobots

 * Bumblebee, a young Autobot scout who transforms into a yellow Willys MB jeep before switching for a rusty yellow 1967 Volkswagen Beetle.
 * Peter Cullen as the voice of Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots.

Decepticons

 * Angela Bassett as the voice of Shatter, a Decepticon triple-changer who transforms into a red Plymouth Satellite and a Harrier Jump Jet.
 * Justin Theroux as the voice of Dropkick, a Decepticon triple-changer who transforms into a blue AMC Javelin and a Bell AH-1 SuperCobra.
 * David Sobolov as the voice of Blitzwing, a Decepticon seeker who transforms into a red/white McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II
 * Jess Harnell as the voice of Barricade, a Decepticon scout.
 * Shockwave, a Decepticon scientist.
 * Soundwave, a Decepticon Communications officer who houses a series of minions that transforms into cassette tapes.

Martin Short has a voice role in the film.

Production
On February 12, 2016, it was announced that the sixth film in the Transformers series Transformers 6 would be released on June 8, 2018, while later it was revealed that the film would be an untitled spin-off, featuring Bumblebee. On November 11, 2016, Deadline reported that Paramount Pictures was moving forward with the project by revealing that Christina Hodson had written the script for the spin-off, and she was one of the female writers Paramount and Michael Bay hired in the "writers room." On March 2, 2017, Deadline reported that Travis Knight was hired to direct the film. In May 2017, it was revealed that the film's story would be set in the 1980s, and that it would have fewer robots. In the same month, it was announced that it would be titled as Transformers Universe: Bumblebee.

Casting
In May 2017, it was reported that Hailee Steinfeld was in talks for the female lead in the film, and she confirmed her involvement later in June. On July 11, 2017, Jorge Lendeborg Jr. joined the cast as the male lead. On July 12, 2017, The Tracking Board confirmed that Rachel Crow had been cast in the film. On July 13, 2017, the rest of the core cast of the film was confirmed, including Jason Drucker, Abby Quinn, Ricardo Hoyos and Gracie Dzienny. On July 22, 2017, it was reported that Pamela Adlon had been cast in the film to play Steinfeld's mother. On July 31, 2017, the film added John Cena to its lead cast along with Kenneth Choi and Stephen Schneider in the supporting cast. On October 2, 2017, while interviewing in promotion for the home media release of Transformers: The Last Knight, Peter Cullen revealed he will be in the film. On December 11, 2017, it was revealed that actor Martin Short has joined the film's voice work. On May 31, 2018, Jess Harnell revealed he will be reprising his role as the voice of Barricade from the 2007 film and The Last Knight. On July 13, 2018, it was announced that Angela Bassett and Justin Theroux would be voicing a pair of Decepticons respectively called Shatter and Dropkick. On August 26, 2018, voice actor David Sobolov, who had previously voiced Depthcharge in Beast Wars: Transformers, Brawl in the 2007 video game and Shockwave in Transformers: Prime confirmed he will voice Blitzwing.

Filming
Principal photography on the film began on July 31, 2017, in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vallejo, and Mare Island, California, and was scheduled to finish on November 16, 2017, under the working title Brighton Falls. Filming concluded 6 days ahead of schedule on November 10, 2017.

Later, in November 2017, the film was revealed to have changed its title to Bumblebee: The Movie, as well as having wrapped up filming.

Music
Dario Marianelli is set to provide the music score for the film, making this the first time Steve Jablonsky has not scored one of the films in the franchise.

Release
Bumblebee is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 21, 2018 by Paramount Pictures, having initially being set for a June 8, 2018 release. The first trailer was released on June 5, 2018. The new trailer was released on September 24, 2018 while its international trailer was released on the same date showing that Bumblebee was formerly disguised into an old Jeep Wrangler before he became a Volkswagen Beetle.