Transformers 6 Will Be a Spinoff Bumblebee Movie

It was revealed last week that Paramount was planning to release a new Transformers movie every year until at least 2019, with Transformers 5 due in June 2017. It has now been confirmed that the sixth movie in the franchise will be a lower budget spinoff movie focussing on heroic fan favourite Bumblebee.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount chairman and chief executive Brad Grey revealed the studio's plans. "There are characters in the Transformers universe that can be and should be made into their own movies," he said. "We will make the movie with Michael and go right into a Bumblebee movie, which will be at a lower cost."

The Bumblebee film is scheduled for release on June 8, 2018, while Transformers 7 is lined up for June 28, 2019.

Grey also explained that the Transformers writing team had assembled plenty of material for future movies. "We've brought in a pretty strong writing staff run by Akiva Goldsman, and they have put together eight or nine interesting stories," he said. "So, between that group and Steven Spielberg's guidance on a story level, these characters are a big business for us to pursue."

Last month Michael Bay confirmed that although he was returning to the director's chair for Transformers 5, it would be his final movie in the series. "I still have a great time," he told Rolling Stone. "It's fun to do a movie that 100 million people will see. But this is the last one. I have to pass the reins to someone else. It's time to move on. One more."

In total, the four previous Transformers movies have earned more than $3.7 billion worldwide. Transformers: Age of Extinction saw Mark Wahlberg take over as the lead actor, and he will return for Transformers 5.