The box office tumble of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is drawing major concern for the franchise’s next two movies. The most recent installment of the blockbuster franchise developed by Michael Bay has generated its weakest box-office performance in franchise history, which is indicating that a new direction for the franchise may be necessary to keep it afloat. Rise of the Beasts is the seventh official installment in the Transformers franchise under the development of Paramount Pictures, with the first installment released in 2007 to overwhelming international success.
With Transformers 8 & 9 confirmed by Paramount, the next installment of the Transformers franchise will likely not be released before 2025. Transformers 8 is set up to be a direct sequel to Rise of the Beasts, with an additional animated feature starring Chris Hemsworth and a star-studded cast called Transformers One expected to premiere in 2024. However, due to the uninspired box office performance of Rise of the Beasts, there is certainly reason to believe that Transformers 8 & 9 could become the last major releases from Paramount of the Transformers franchise if the box office numbers continue to falter.
Rise of the Beasts’ Box Office Is Another Disappointment For The Transformers Franchise
The simple truth is that Rise of the Beasts is a box-office disappointment, especially when considering the cost of its production. Rise of the Beasts has struggled to generate double the revenue of its announced budget of $195 million, raking in just under $380 million during the first four weeks of its worldwide theatrical release. There are a few more weeks before the highly-anticipated slate of July blockbusters will push Rise of the Beasts out of the theatrical circuit, but it’s unlikely that the movie will surmount more than $450 million at the global box office before then.
To put the previous success of the Transformers franchise into perspective, its original 2007 film generated over $700 million with a $151 million budget. That winning ratio essentially guaranteed that the franchise was off to a great start and more sequels would arise in response. 2009’s Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen amassed $800 million globally with a budget of $210 million. The next two Transformers films, 2011’s Dark of the Moon and 2014’s Age of Extinction, each earned over $1.1 billion at the worldwide box office. The last three Transformers films have collectively generated about $1.45 billion in total revenue, with each release setting a new franchise low at the global box office.
Rise of the Beasts’ Box Office Could Change Transformers & G.I. Joe Crossover Plans
The apparent downward trend of the Transformers installments has forced Paramount to inflate their once-beloved franchise to pull every last straw to maintain viewer interest. The seemingly planned Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover film that is implied by the Rise of the Beasts ending could set up the G.I. Joe and Transformers crossover that would act as a one-time gimmick and last-ditch effort for Paramount to revitalize both franchises. There is a significant risk for Paramount to combine two of its most profitable creative assets into one installment, especially if the movie fails and ends up killing two birds with one stone.
Paramount Could Reboot Transformers Instead Of Continuing Rise of the Beasts’ Canon
A better option for Paramount to end this recent tumble might be to reboot the Transformers franchise altogether. This would likely result in the cancelation of the previously-announced Transformers 8 & 9 and could delay the next Transformers installment anywhere from three to seven or more years. The drastic move would force Paramount to go back to the drawing board and completely revamp the franchise from the ground up. This would be a tasking but potentially rewarding move in order to ensure the future of Transformers movies, which is currently experiencing the worst box-office plummet in its sixteen-year run.
A Transformers reboot would create an awkward gap in the Transformers timeline and would eliminate the established action and plot setup for Transformers 8 & 9. While the decision may seem like an overly protective measure, it could be the only way to save the sinking ship of the Transformers franchise from going completely under. One of the best recent examples of a sinking franchise stopping in its tracks to create a successful reboot is The Amazing Spider-Man. Sony had originally announced a third installment with Andrew Garfield as the heroic web-slinger but scrapped the project to focus on the Tom Holland-led reboot. This decision also led to the Spider-Man character branching out into the phenomenal animated feature Into the Spider-Verse.
Will Michael Bay Return To Transformers After The Franchise’s Box Office Trouble?
One of the biggest changes that Paramount could utilize in a potential reboot or Transformers franchise revision is parting ways with director Michael Bay. With Transformers being such a household brand, the name alone would attract many eager directors who could offer fresh takes and creative risks that would ultimately turn the fate of the Transformers franchise around. Bay had worked closely with the formation and development of Rise of the Beasts, but he did not take the responsibility of directing it.
Alternatively, Bay could return to the director’s chair in order to generate new anticipation for Transformers 8 and beyond. Bay directed the first five installments of the Transformers franchise and was largely a part of the massive success of the movies. The two new Transformers directors, Travis Knight on Bumblebee and Steven Caple Jr. on Rise of the Beasts, could actually be pointing to the main reason for the franchise’s recent box-office tumble. The key to fixing Transformers problems could be as simple as Paramount convincing Bay to direct the next installment.
How Transformers 8 & 9 Can Save The Franchise At The Box Office
The easiest way for Transformers to fix itself is to get Bay back in the director’s chair. The issue with the recent Transformers movies could be that they don’t capture the same magic or energy that the notable director Bay is able to produce. The next best way to save the Transformers franchise is to completely reboot it with new concepts, new characters, and essentially new everything. Paramount might want to completely start over rather than reinstate Bay’s previously successful formula which fans could be fatigued from. Transformers 8 & 9 can also continue as planned after Rise of the Beasts with a G.I. Joe crossover providing a juggernaut to both franchises as Paramount currently intends.