One thing Transformers detractors had going for them was that Michael Bay's super noisy, super terrible extended toy commercials only came out once every few years. Well, Paramount is about to change all of that. Deadline reports that Paramount is looking to emulate Lucasfilm, Disney, and every other studio that has built expanded universe franchises out of their most popular properties.
A brain trust led by uber-producer and Oscar-winning writer Akiva Goldsman is being put together that will come up with ideas for Transformers spinoffs and multi-part sequels. This "writer's room" will be organized by Goldsman, exec-producer Steven Spielberg, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and Michael Bay who is involved in some way. He's about to direct his Benghazi drama, 13 Hours, but by the sound of it he's going to be very hands on with the next Transformers film. At the very least he'll be a producer but a return as director can't be ruled out.
Goldsman won't be writing any of these movies himself, or at he isn't at this point. He's merely on board as a producer, overseer, and the guy who finds the right talent for the right project. It's kind of surprising Paramount waited this long. At $3.7B over four movies the Transformers franchise is easily their most lucrative. Think about the business a Dinobots spinoff film could do. We're talking Devastator-levels of huge.
