Hailee Steinfeld in Negotiations to Star in 'Transformers' Spin-off 'Bumblebee'

By Denise See, Christian Post Contributor Saturday, June 03, 2017

While a fifth installment to the "Transformers" film series is set to premiere this month, it does not seem like the franchise will stop there, as a Bumblebee spin-off movie is in the works.

The Bumblebee spin-off is apparently the first film outside the main robot series that will launch a "Transformers" universe. Cinematic universes are becoming quite rampant, with Marvel and DC both employing the same format. Legendary's "MonsterVerse" featuring creatures like Godzilla and King Kong also comes to mind.

According to Variety, Paramount Pictures is keen on securing Hailee Steinfeld to star in the upcoming spin-off. The "Most Girls" singer is no stranger to the silver screen, having starred in "Pitch Perfect 2" and "The Edge of Seventeen," among others. Steinfeld was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "True Grit."

Steinfeld's role is said to be a tomboy who moonlights as a mechanic when she is not in school. Travis Knight, who helmed the Oscar-nominated film "Kubo and the Two Strings," is set to direct the upcoming "Transformers" spin-off, with a script written by Christina Hodson.

It remains to be seen what the film's plot will be, though it is known that it will follow Bumblebee, the black and yellow Transformer who has become quite the fan-favorite.

Bumblebee will next appear in "Transformers: The Last Knight," which will premiere on June 21. The upcoming fifth installment will reveal the "secret history of Transformers," as well as the reason behind their recurring return to Earth.

Director Michael Bay recently took to his Twitter account to quash rumors claiming "Transformers: The Last Knight" will be three hours long. Bay revealed that the film is actually shorter in length compared to the previous three movies in the film series.

The spin-off, titled "Bumblebee," is scheduled to premiere on June 8, 2018.