Bumblebee, of course, is at the center of it all. Even with the reboot of the live action film franchise (and the IDW narrative), the yellow bug scout is being banked on to promote the brand and franchise across multiple media, with mentions of Cyberverse, some confusion around the currently airing Power of the Primes (as the final part of the Prime Wars Trilogy), and the general intention of putting Bumblebee first as a wide appeal character, and what that means for the media approach of Hasbro's licensees. Read the full piece here, some extracts below, and take a look at a new image of the Bumblebee vehicle mode from the Cyberverse animated series!
“We decided on Bumblebee because we wanted to go in a bit of a different direction. We wanted a character-focused film versus an ensemble. He is loved by kids, multiple generations, girls and women. Everyone loves Bumblebee,” continues Warner.
Hasbro is capitalizing on the film’s surroundings with a slate of ‘80s-themed launches including a TV series, a vinyl album and a graphic novel, which the company hopes will “lead a wave of Millennial nostalgia.”
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Hasbro is off to a running start with two new television programs, “Transformers Cyberverse (Chapter 1)” and “Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy.” The first is an animated series from Hasbro Studios and Boulder Media that follows Bumblebee as he attempts to recover his memories on Earth. “Transformers: Prime Wars Trilogy” picks up on the “Transformers: Combiner Wars” story line and offers a more detailed look at the franchise’s characters and history.
Though the shows are not set in the 1980s, “Cyberverse” emphasizes the idea of keeping memories alive, while “Prime Wars,” which debuted on Verizon’s streaming service VerizonGo90, was conceived as a way to reach older, devoted fans who have grown up with the franchise.
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The new film comes to life with the help of actress Hailee Steinfeld and action star John Cena. At a time when audiences are looking for more female representation on screen, Waters remarks that “the choice to cast Hailee in the leading role may open the traditionally male brand up to female fans.”
“We felt [Hailee] was right for the picture and we are looking to expand our audience and be as inclusive as possible with the franchise,” adds Warner. “This is a step worth noting for a brand that has traditionally been displayed in the boys’ aisle of toy stores.”
I asked on facebook what people's thoughts were and I did get the reply of "at least it aint Bayformers"