The new ‘Transformers’ prequel, ‘Bumblebee,’ takes fans back in time to the 1980s, where the yellow Autobot teams up with a teenager, played by Hailee Steinfeld, to help save the world. A newly released trailer reveals the origin story for the titular character.
‘Bumblebee’ promises to be a breath of fresh air for the franchise, which suffered under the direction of former helmer Michael Bay. Now, ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ director Travis Knight has taken over, and it seems like he has taken things in another direction. Where the older movies in the franchise offered overdone CGI and gratuitous explosions, the footage released so far for ‘Bumblebee’ has offered crisper graphics and what seems to be an actual plot. And, the film appears to have a script that will make viewers actually care about the characters.
Christina Hodson and Kelly Fremon Craig provided the script for the film. Speaking about her inspiration for the story, Hodson said:
“Honestly, I want to tell a pretty timeless story with this one. I grew up on Amblin movies. I always loved the way those movies did kind of feel timeless. They felt like they could exist anytime, anyone in this small town that felt almost like a bubble. And the 80’s felt like a natural fit. I grew up in the 80’s. It’s when ‘Transformers’ became a big thing. It’s when a lot of people fell in love with Bumblebee, so it made sense to do it then.”
In addition to Steinfeld, ‘Bumblebee’ boasts a strong cast featuring John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Ortiz, Jason Drucker, Pamela Adlon, and the voices of Angela Bassett, Justin Theroux, David Sobolov, and Jess Harnell as various Decepticons. Peter Cullen returns to the franchise as the voice of Optimus Prime.
‘Bumblebee’ will hit theaters December 21, 2018. Check out the new trailer below!
On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee the Autobot seeks refuge in a junkyard in a small California beach town. Charlie, on the brink of turning 18 years old and trying to find her place in the world, soon discovers the battle-scarred and broken Bumblebee. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns that this is no ordinary yellow Volkswagen.
