Bumblebee 'Solidly Profitable' according to Viacom CEO
Saturday, January 12th, 2019 8:45pm CST
Category: Movie Related NewsPosted by: D-Maximal_Primal Views: 17,468
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Speaking at the Citi TMT West Conference in Las Vegas this last Wednesday, Bakish made explicit reference to Bumblebee’s success, and that it had proven “solidly profitable”. Bakish specifically compared Bumblebee to 2017’s infamous The Last Knight, which had lost over $100 million domestically. As recorded by Box Office Mojo, Bumblebee currently stands at a domestic gross of over $100 million with a $135 million budget, with an additional $307 million grossed worldwide. Though relatively low compared to early films in the franchise, Bumblebee does appear to be steering the franchise back towards profitability.
With Bumblebee still running strongly in theaters, only time will tell how far it climbs. Fortunately for fans of the films, it appears that these earnings only further reaffirm the franchise's continuation into the foreseeable future.

Credit(s): SyFy Wire, Hollywood Reporter
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Posted by TulioDude on January 12th, 2019 @ 9:04pm CST

Posted by Sentinel_Primal on January 12th, 2019 @ 9:42pm CST



Posted by crash8burnt on January 12th, 2019 @ 10:26pm CST
Blitzwing was so short lived. Luckily it’s not Starscream. But it was definitely a missed opportunity that Knight didn’t make use of the story of SS , instead of Biltzwing, damaging Bumblebee’s voice cord and having BB seeking revenge in the next movie.
The sparks between Charlie and BB also can’t be compared to Sam and BB’s. I really hate to admit...., but the bond between man and machine was so much fun and interesting in Bay’s TF than in Knight’s.
The fights between the bots were very unrealistic, i.e. one can easily twist the plot to make either the bot or the cons win. It’s very obvious that BB can’t possibly beat any of the cons, and at times, can easily be killed. but it managed to win all the battles.
What about the rumours on the show focusing more on the story of the bots and transformation? To me, I don’t find myself knowing more about BB or the cons. The transformation was also very minimal.
The G1 looking of the bots are really not bad, much much better than the insects-looking things in bayverse. Except, why still give us a ‘Grandma-on-pacifier’ looking BB?
.....I really, really hate to admit....., but I will still watch TF 1 to 5 over and over again, but this Bumblebee movie, it will be the first and the last time...
Posted by Sabrblade on January 12th, 2019 @ 10:26pm CST
What made Beast Wars so good in the first place would likely never be recaptured by Hollywood.Sentinel_Primal wrote::PRAY:![]()
Please lead to Beast Wars movie, please lead to Beast Wars movie, please lead to Beast Wars movie, please lead to Beast Wars movie... And also a reboot because this movie is too different from Bay's universe, and it'd be nice to see a new cinematic Transformers universe
With our luck, we'd end up with Optimus Primal throwing his feces at the camera while Megatron (voiced by a misdirected Sylvester Stallone) roars all of his dialogue (because he's a dinosaur, geddit?), while Cheetor (voiced by Owen Wilson) is the personal ride/pet/aide/sidekick/etc. of the movie's lead role who, for some reason, is an obnoxious human character played by a white male actor with a macho physique and a 'Murica! attitude.
Posted by ZeroWolf on January 13th, 2019 @ 2:49am CST
Sabrblade wrote:What made Beast Wars so good in the first place would likely never be recaptured by Hollywood.Sentinel_Primal wrote::PRAY:![]()
Please lead to Beast Wars movie, please lead to Beast Wars movie, please lead to Beast Wars movie, please lead to Beast Wars movie... And also a reboot because this movie is too different from Bay's universe, and it'd be nice to see a new cinematic Transformers universe
With our luck, we'd end up with Optimus Primal throwing his feces at the camera while Megatron (voiced by a misdirected Sylvester Stallone) roars all of his dialogue (because he's a dinosaur, geddit?), while Cheetor (voiced by Owen Wilson) is the personal ride/pet/aide/sidekick/etc. of the movie's lead role who, for some reason, is an obnoxious human character played by a white male actor with a macho physique and a 'Murica! attitude.
Bumblebee turned out well

Posted by Rodimus Prime on January 13th, 2019 @ 3:09am CST
I don't get how people think a Beast Wars movie is a good idea. The story of Beast Wars is too complex to be told in 2 hours, unless it's limited to a handful of Transformers characters and all the events of the series get crammed into the movie. Leaving them out would cripple the story severely. If they go in another direction and come up with an all-new story, it would have to be a prequel to the series.Sabrblade wrote:What made Beast Wars so good in the first place would likely never be recaptured by Hollywood.Sentinel_Primal wrote::PRAY:![]()
Please lead to Beast Wars movie, please lead to Beast Wars movie, please lead to Beast Wars movie, please lead to Beast Wars movie... And also a reboot because this movie is too different from Bay's universe, and it'd be nice to see a new cinematic Transformers universe
Don't give them any ideas, in case any of them are reading these boards.With our luck, we'd end up with Optimus Primal throwing his feces at the camera while Megatron (voiced by a misdirected Sylvester Stallone) roars all of his dialogue (because he's a dinosaur, geddit?), while Cheetor (voiced by Owen Wilson) is the personal ride/pet/aide/sidekick/etc.
As bad as that is, it would still be a step up over the disgusting interracial garbage they tried to pass off as romance in the Bee movie.of the movie's lead role who, for some reason, is an obnoxious human character played by a white male actor with a macho physique and a 'Murica! attitude.
Posted by Evil Eye on January 13th, 2019 @ 6:31am CST
Rodimus Prime wrote:I don't get how people think a Beast Wars movie is a good idea. The story of Beast Wars is too complex to be told in 2 hours, unless it's limited to a handful of Transformers characters and all the events of the series get crammed into the movie. Leaving them out would cripple the story severely. If they go in another direction and come up with an all-new story, it would have to be a prequel to the series.Sabrblade wrote:What made Beast Wars so good in the first place would likely never be recaptured by Hollywood.Sentinel_Primal wrote::PRAY:![]()
Please lead to Beast Wars movie, please lead to Beast Wars movie, please lead to Beast Wars movie, please lead to Beast Wars movie... And also a reboot because this movie is too different from Bay's universe, and it'd be nice to see a new cinematic Transformers universe
I'd agree, unless it was an original story not actually set in the BW continuity but heavily inspired by BW it wouldn't work. I can't see it turning out well anyway, and to be honest I don't think it's necessary. Animation aside, BW still holds up very well.
Don't give them any ideas, in case any of them are reading these boards.With our luck, we'd end up with Optimus Primal throwing his feces at the camera while Megatron (voiced by a misdirected Sylvester Stallone) roars all of his dialogue (because he's a dinosaur, geddit?), while Cheetor (voiced by Owen Wilson) is the personal ride/pet/aide/sidekick/etc.
If Knight or someone like him (a fan of the series) was at the helm then I can't see that being an issue. Though to be fair BW could be pretty low brow at times (remember Rhinox's indigestion episode?).
As bad as that is, it would still be a step up over the disgusting interracial garbage they tried to pass off as romance in the Bee movie.of the movie's lead role who, for some reason, is an obnoxious human character played by a white male actor with a macho physique and a 'Murica! attitude.
I assume the word you're looking for is "interspecies", as in Bumblebee X Charlie, because interracial means something quite different and might raise a few eyebrows!

Posted by ZeroWolf on January 13th, 2019 @ 6:39am CST
Posted by Ig89ninja on January 13th, 2019 @ 8:55am CST
ZeroWolf wrote:I thought he meant the humans with the romance comment
SPOILER
But weren’t they just friends at the end of the film
Posted by Rodimus Prime on January 13th, 2019 @ 9:29am CST
I did. The end result may have been friendship, but that was still cringeworthy. And because of the end result being a friendship, it was totally unnecessary.ZeroWolf wrote:I thought he meant the humans with the romance comment
Also, it's almost a given that there will be at least one sequel. Is Bee going to find yet another human to be best friends with before he gets to Sam? Wouldn't it have been better to leave Bee and Charlie's friendship open-ended so it can be built on in a possible sequel?
Posted by Flashwave on January 13th, 2019 @ 9:53am CST
Rodimus Prime wrote:I did. The end result may have been friendship, but that was still cringeworthy. And because of the end result being a friendship, it was totally unnecessary.ZeroWolf wrote:I thought he meant the humans with the romance comment
Also, it's almost a given that there will be at least one sequel. Is Bee going to find yet another human to be best friends with before he gets to Sam? Wouldn't it have been better to leave Bee and Charlie's friendship open-ended so it can be built on in a possible sequel?
Would I prefer more of Bee and Charlie over another Human? Absolutely. But I think for the arc of Charlie’s emotional growth this was the best and only option.
Remember,, she says int he beginning that what’s eating her up was that she never got to say good bye to her Dad. And take it from someone who lost their father at the same age, but had 5 years to prepare for it, that’s an important thing to miss out on. Bee wasn’t really a surrogate Dad, but he was the first person she could connect with after that And since her Dad was a Car Guy, having someone like him manifest AS a car was probably a close enough bridge. When she thought Bee was dead at the bottom of the DryDock, she dove in to do just that, (or that’s my interpretation.) And getting to say it properly to Bee at the end set it in stone.
In my head, Bee tries to revisit his old friend sometime later, by surprising the now Mechanic Charlie at a repair facility. However. While up on the lift, Charlie manages to recognize the old battle wounds first, and shouts Oh my God a Decepticon!” Causing Bee to attempt to Transform and go on the Defensive, but of course he’s on a car lift and transforming doesn’t go... exactly as planned. Two old friends reunite with Bee hanging like a broken marionette, half transformed, 7 feet off the ground, unharmed but stuck, running through old clips of exasperations while Charlie is rolling on the floor laughing.
Posted by Rodimus Prime on January 13th, 2019 @ 10:58am CST
But did it have to bring their friendship to a definite close? Or did he just think he had to leave because Prime showed upFlashwave wrote:she says int he beginning that what’s eating her up was that she never got to say good bye to her Dad. And take it from someone who lost their father at the same age, but had 5 years to prepare for it, that’s an important thing to miss out on. Bee wasn’t really a surrogate Dad, but he was the first person she could connect with after that And since her Dad was a Car Guy, having someone like him manifest AS a car was probably a close enough bridge. When she thought Bee was dead at the bottom of the DryDock, she dove in to do just that, (or that’s my interpretation.) And getting to say it properly to Bee at the end set it in stone.
In my head, Bee tries to revisit his old friend sometime later, by surprising the now Mechanic Charlie at a repair facility. However. While up on the lift, Charlie manages to recognize the old battle wounds first, and shouts Oh my God a Decepticon!” Causing Bee to attempt to Transform and go on the Defensive, but of course he’s on a car lift and transforming doesn’t go... exactly as planned. Two old friends reunite with Bee hanging like a broken marionette, half transformed, 7 feet off the ground, unharmed but stuck, running through old clips of exasperations while Charlie is rolling on the floor laughing.



Posted by Sabrblade on January 13th, 2019 @ 12:01pm CST
Posted by Munkky on January 13th, 2019 @ 12:02pm CST
Posted by ZeroWolf on January 13th, 2019 @ 12:04pm CST
Munkky wrote:And with this news, I may take a short break from Transformers. There's still a handful of figures I still want, like Studio Series Jetfire and Siege Shockwave, but overall I think I'll dip out and come back once the brand's "Back to Basics, Back to the 80's" phase has ended.
To borrow a Furmanism "It never ends..."
Posted by Deadput on January 13th, 2019 @ 4:37pm CST
Munkky wrote:And with this news, I may take a short break from Transformers. There's still a handful of figures I still want, like Studio Series Jetfire and Siege Shockwave, but overall I think I'll dip out and come back once the brand's "Back to Basics, Back to the 80's" phase has ended.
Well reason we are in that "phase" right now is because the franchise needs to heal, it needs to go in the safe direction.
Expect the next movie whether it's part of a new reboot universe or a prequel (Or maybe even sequel that ignores the Unicron plot for now) to the Bay films to not bring in anything drastically new and instead a rehash of a previous story in the franchise.
Like a Force Awakens of Transformers.
Posted by -Kanrabat- on January 13th, 2019 @ 5:32pm CST
It also give hopes for a possible BEAST WARS movie done the same way.
Posted by -Kanrabat- on January 13th, 2019 @ 5:33pm CST
Deadput wrote:Like a Force Awakens of Transformers.
But we certainly WON'T need a "The Last Jedi of Transformers".

Posted by TulioDude on January 13th, 2019 @ 5:55pm CST
-Kanrabat- wrote:Deadput wrote:Like a Force Awakens of Transformers.
But we certainly WON'T need a "The Last Jedi of Transformers".
I agree