Something very interesting is happening with the Transformers property right now. After last year’s Transformers: The Last Knight saw a commercial dip for this once monstrously successful franchise, the new Bumblebee has offered an alternative take on the series that continues to draw the praise and attention of critics and filmgoers who’d previously shown little affection for Michael Bay’s overblown spectacles. For the first time in a while, the idea of further films from the franchise isn’t a cause for mass anxiety and dread, but the question is raised of where the series can go from here without alienating all these new fans.
One possible answer comes from a new Metro piece, which confirms that the team at Paramount is currently kicking around ideas for an Optimus Prime solo movie. It’s said that while writer Christina Hodson is hoping for a Bumblebee sequel, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura is eyeing the lead Autobot as the next to get the spinoff treatment.
“We’re trying to figure out an [Optimus Prime solo movie].”
As the most famous bot of the whole series, you can certainly see the logic in giving the spotlight to Optimus, but according to di Bonaventura, there are some potential issues in making such a stoic character the focus of his own solo movie.
“It will be hard with Optimus, he is always right, very stoic and is a man of few words … It is kind of like saying, ‘Lets do a movie about Obi-Wan Kenobi?’ But how much is there to say about Obi-Wan? It is not so easy.”
It’s also worth noting that while Bumblebee was largely a supporting player in the Bay flicks, Optimus was regularly at the forefront of the action, raising the question of whether a solo movie for the main Autobot is just a little redundant. Then again, perhaps the appeal of this project stems less from the opportunity to see the big metal hero get even more screen time to himself, and more from the possibility of the character simply getting a more intriguing portrayal than what the Bay films had to offer.
In any case, it sounds like Paramount is still figuring out what exactly they want to do with the Transformers franchise, but in the meantime, Bumblebee is still in cinemas and continues to win over doubters.