This page contains affiliate links. We may earn commissions when readers interact with or purchase items through these links. For more information, see our affiliate disclosures here.

ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore

Transformers News: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore

Saturday, January 20th, 2018 3:10AM CST

Category: Movie Related News
Posted by: Bounti76   Views: 25,128

Topic Options: View Discussion · Sign in or Join to reply

It's been some time since we heard any news regarding the Hasbro/Paramount cinematic universe. While your dreams of seeing G.I. Joe and Transformers in the same live-action movie universe may still happen, it appears that certain properties may not see a live-action big screen adventure after all. Scotty P pointed us to an article on IGN's website that features an interview with John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, writers on the well-received Spider-Man: Homecoming movie, regarding the shared cinematic universe, and for the ROM and M.A.S.K properties in particular:

"Those are probably not likely to see the light of day, unless they’re moving on separate from us," said Goldstein. "It’s a funny thing. We spent three weeks in a room with a lot of talented writers. We broke 11 or so movies and, I don’t know. It just kind of went into the vortex. There’s been some leadership changes at Paramount, so it’s hard to say. Nobody’s contacted us about those."


How does this news strike you? Were you hoping to see ROM battling the Dire Wraiths on the big screen? You can read the full interview by clicking here. Please let us know your thoughts on this new development (or lack of development, rather) below!
Credit(s): IGN.com

News Search

Got Transformers News? Let us know here!

Most Popular Transformers News

Most Recent Transformers News

Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932594)
Posted by DMSL on January 20th, 2018 @ 3:59am CST
Never say never.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932596)
Posted by Burn on January 20th, 2018 @ 4:05am CST
He's just a writer from the writers room, there's no guarantee he was going to be asked to write anyway.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932598)
Posted by Rezael on January 20th, 2018 @ 5:18am CST
Disappointing, I'd much rather see a M.A.S.K. film over transformers at this point.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932611)
Posted by Ironhidensh on January 20th, 2018 @ 7:56am CST
IDW failed with the M.A.S.K. comic. They changed too much from the original, loosing what made it work. The editor in charge should be fired and black listed from comics.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932612)
Posted by Evil Eye on January 20th, 2018 @ 8:24am CST
I wonder how much of this is to do with TLK's failure. Still, not like Im particularly sad- I have zero attachment to Rom or M.A.S.K (though I will admit the 80s toyline for the latter looked pretty sweet) and I can't see reboot movies working all that well. Transformers worked because it has a history of being rebooted and reimagined every five minutes. M.A.S.K and Rom don't have that.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932613)
Posted by Rated X on January 20th, 2018 @ 8:31am CST
Mask was kind of far fetched anyways. To think some pop up Lambo doors could act as wings is ridiculous. Plus a helicoptor that can turn into a jet in mid air was also pretty far fetched. I did own the motorcycle sidecar thing as a kid because I thought it was kind of cool. But as I look back, I can see why the producers and writers just said no...
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932614)
Posted by Ironhidensh on January 20th, 2018 @ 8:37am CST
Rated X wrote:Mask was kind of far fetched anyways. To think some pop up Lambo doors could act as wings is ridiculous. Plus a helicoptor that can turn into a jet in mid air was also pretty far fetched. I did own the motorcycle sidecar thing as a kid because I thought it was kind of cool. But as I look back, I can see why the producers and writers just said no...



1) It was a Camero, not a Lambo.

2) Because super hero's and boy wizards aren't far fetched at all.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932618)
Posted by Dr. Caelus on January 20th, 2018 @ 9:21am CST
M.A.S.K. could really just be folded into a G.I.Joe reboot; they mesh so well there's not much reason to keep the stories separate.

Rom I've really come to love, but should probably justbe sold to Marvel - Dire Wraiths have tied into Skrulls before, or they could be adapted to tie into the Brood or Klyntyr - either way Rom and his enemies make good elements for post-Thanos GotG/Cpt. Marvel.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932627)
Posted by Rated X on January 20th, 2018 @ 10:46am CST
Ironhidensh wrote:
Rated X wrote:Mask was kind of far fetched anyways. To think some pop up Lambo doors could act as wings is ridiculous. Plus a helicoptor that can turn into a jet in mid air was also pretty far fetched. I did own the motorcycle sidecar thing as a kid because I thought it was kind of cool. But as I look back, I can see why the producers and writers just said no...



1) It was a Camero, not a Lambo.

2) Because super hero's and boy wizards aren't far fetched at all.


Obviously youre not into customized cars...I clearly said "Lambo doors" not "Lambo". Heres a picture of Bee with Lambo doors:

https://www.carid.com/vertical-doors-in ... RAQAvD_BwE

BTW: Its spelled "Camaro" not "Camero"

Some far fetched things are just not as cool as others when it comes to live action movies. I dont see any Gobots live action movies coming our way either...
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932629)
Posted by Ironhidensh on January 20th, 2018 @ 11:02am CST
Fine then, Thunderhawk has gull wing doors, not Lambo doors. I'll concede your second point.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932633)
Posted by Mindmaster on January 20th, 2018 @ 11:15am CST
Shame, I’d’ve liked to have seen MASK come to be. Lots of good potential for a Transformers/GI Joe/MASK crossover.

Rom, eh. I can take or leave it.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932636)
Posted by Rated X on January 20th, 2018 @ 11:27am CST
Ironhidensh wrote:Fine then, Thunderhawk has gull wing doors, not Lambo doors. I'll concede your second point.


True. Notice I called them "pop up Lambo doors" because I had no clue what to call doors that go up in that particular fasion. But now I know. And knowing is half the battle. ;)
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932639)
Posted by Nexus Knight on January 20th, 2018 @ 11:37am CST
Ironhidensh wrote:IDW failed with the M.A.S.K. comic. They changed too much from the original, loosing what made it work. The editor in charge should be fired and black listed from comics.


Actually, saying that straying from to source isn't the reason the comic failed. IDWverse Transformers has strayed so far from the original you could probably build a football field or two. They just couldn't make it interesting, which is hard to see how. The premise is basically written for them- a team of people who are practically superheroes (powers, codenames, and all) with vehicles that convert into mobile battle stations.

I have to agree with one point made- This would be hard to be made in a live action flick. It's harder to suspend disbelief with live action than with animation. Plus, they'd have to get a large budget for special effects and hope the people don't give them a garbage product. If a M.A.S.K. movie were made, animation probably would be a better medium to do so. Which is why we should instead get a TV show. :-D
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932648)
Posted by Sabrblade on January 20th, 2018 @ 12:19pm CST
Rated X wrote:Some far fetched things are just not as cool as others when it comes to live action movies. I dont see any Gobots live action movies coming our way either...
In the specific case of GoBots, it's because that really can't happen since it's a dead franchise whose ownership rights have been split across three different companies, two of which are even rival competitor companies.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932652)
Posted by Evil Eye on January 20th, 2018 @ 12:28pm CST
Speaking of Hasbro movies, it's a shame G.I. Joe is basically dead because even as someone who honestly never grew up with it, I wouldn't mind a proper G.I. Joe movie that took advantage of just how silly the whole thing was. So no attempts to make it too "cool" or "edgy" or whatever; by all means modernize some of the designs so they look good on screen, but aim for that absolutely ridiculous 80s cheese charm. Everyone has laser rifles, Cobra are completely incompetent, Cobra Commander is a screeching lunatic (get Scott McNeil to play him!), etc etc. Don't be mean spirited towards the source material, but give it an affectionate parody. So not "G.I. Joe is sacrosanct and must be treated as a serious work of art" but not "The original sucked, let's insult it and the people that grew up with it" either. More "G.i. Joe was ludicrous, and that's why we love it". And for the love of god, keep political/social virtue signalling out of it.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932663)
Posted by Rated X on January 20th, 2018 @ 12:52pm CST
Sabrblade wrote:
Rated X wrote:Some far fetched things are just not as cool as others when it comes to live action movies. I dont see any Gobots live action movies coming our way either...
In the specific case of GoBots, it's because that really can't happen since it's a dead franchise whose ownership rights have been split across three different companies, two of which are even rival competitor companies.


In the case of the (cough cough) offical Machine Robo figures, I would be inclined to believe money talks. Maybe certain characters or even the name "Gobots" might not be able to be used. But something can easily be done to circumvent the legal woes. But the interest just isnt there. Gobots will always be seen as wanna-be Transformers in America. They were back then and they would be now if a film came out. The only time I can think of that 2 competing franchises equally held their own in popularity was Mortal Kombat vs. Street Fighter.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932665)
Posted by Rated X on January 20th, 2018 @ 12:58pm CST
Black Hat wrote:Speaking of Hasbro movies, it's a shame G.I. Joe is basically dead because even as someone who honestly never grew up with it, I wouldn't mind a proper G.I. Joe movie that took advantage of just how silly the whole thing was. So no attempts to make it too "cool" or "edgy" or whatever; by all means modernize some of the designs so they look good on screen, but aim for that absolutely ridiculous 80s cheese charm. Everyone has laser rifles, Cobra are completely incompetent, Cobra Commander is a screeching lunatic (get Scott McNeil to play him!), etc etc. Don't be mean spirited towards the source material, but give it an affectionate parody. So not "G.I. Joe is sacrosanct and must be treated as a serious work of art" but not "The original sucked, let's insult it and the people that grew up with it" either. More "G.i. Joe was ludicrous, and that's why we love it". And for the love of god, keep political/social virtue signalling out of it.

Thats what cartoons are for. The moment you use live actors and have them be "less cool" you just have a parody. But I would be all for a CHUG version of GI Joe being put into a cartoon form. And not CGI. The same for Transformers. New stories with old characters with their original personalities.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932666)
Posted by Sabrblade on January 20th, 2018 @ 1:01pm CST
Rated X wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Rated X wrote:Some far fetched things are just not as cool as others when it comes to live action movies. I dont see any Gobots live action movies coming our way either...
In the specific case of GoBots, it's because that really can't happen since it's a dead franchise whose ownership rights have been split across three different companies, two of which are even rival competitor companies.


In the case of the (cough cough) offical Machine Robo figures, I would be inclined to believe money talks.
That's all done on Bandai's end. Machine Robo is considered a separate brand from GoBots much like how both the original and currently new Diaclone lines are separate from Transformers. Bandai owns everything Machine Robo, while Warner Bros. owns the GoBots cartoon and Hasbro owns the GoBots intellectual property.

Rated X wrote:Maybe certain characters or even the name "Gobots" might not be able to be used. But something can easily be done to circumvent the legal woes.
Bandai can allow Action Toys to do anything with their new Machine Robo toys as long as they're sold as Machine Robo and not GoBots since Bandai doesn't own the GoBots IP.

Rated X wrote:But the interest just isnt there. Gobots will always be seen as wanna-be Transformers in America. They were back then and they would be now if a film came out. The only time I can think of that 2 competing franchises equally held their own in popularity was Mortal Kombat vs. Street Fighter.
Indeed. Transformers was the stronger of the two back then, marketed better and handled better between its two parent companies (Hasbro and Takara) overall. And nowadays, GoBots has the infamous reputation of having been unanimously lame even though it was only a slightly, rather than a significantly, weaker series than the Transformers.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932668)
Posted by Megatron Wolf on January 20th, 2018 @ 1:04pm CST
I think its the right call, neither movie would do well in the current market. MASK is to over the top & to 80s, its best left in the world of animation & comics where it works well. Rom on the other hand i think could be a good movie if done right, only thing is people would call it a transformers rip off so that would hurt it. Better to put it on the back burner and do it at a later time, once transformers has fizzled out of memory for a bit.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932669)
Posted by Evil Eye on January 20th, 2018 @ 1:05pm CST
Rated X wrote:
Black Hat wrote:Speaking of Hasbro movies, it's a shame G.I. Joe is basically dead because even as someone who honestly never grew up with it, I wouldn't mind a proper G.I. Joe movie that took advantage of just how silly the whole thing was. So no attempts to make it too "cool" or "edgy" or whatever; by all means modernize some of the designs so they look good on screen, but aim for that absolutely ridiculous 80s cheese charm. Everyone has laser rifles, Cobra are completely incompetent, Cobra Commander is a screeching lunatic (get Scott McNeil to play him!), etc etc. Don't be mean spirited towards the source material, but give it an affectionate parody. So not "G.I. Joe is sacrosanct and must be treated as a serious work of art" but not "The original sucked, let's insult it and the people that grew up with it" either. More "G.i. Joe was ludicrous, and that's why we love it". And for the love of god, keep political/social virtue signalling out of it.

Thats what cartoons are for. The moment you use live actors and have them be "less cool" you just have a parody.

Dude, it's hard to get less cool than the 80s G.I. Joe or Transformers cartoons. Not to say they're unwatchable, but they aren't good. They're fun because they're so, so silly.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932690)
Posted by hausjam on January 20th, 2018 @ 3:01pm CST
I could see MASK spinning off of Transformers really well. I envision Tucci’s character taking Transformium (or whatever he called it) and using it to make clandestine vehicles for Lennox’s unit and coming up with some outlandish name like Mobile Armored Strike Kommand because he’s an outlandish genius. It could work. And it would be nice to put the Transformers themselves on hold for a few years.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932692)
Posted by hausjam on January 20th, 2018 @ 3:03pm CST
Black Hat wrote:
Rated X wrote:
Black Hat wrote:Speaking of Hasbro movies, it's a shame G.I. Joe is basically dead because even as someone who honestly never grew up with it, I wouldn't mind a proper G.I. Joe movie that took advantage of just how silly the whole thing was. So no attempts to make it too "cool" or "edgy" or whatever; by all means modernize some of the designs so they look good on screen, but aim for that absolutely ridiculous 80s cheese charm. Everyone has laser rifles, Cobra are completely incompetent, Cobra Commander is a screeching lunatic (get Scott McNeil to play him!), etc etc. Don't be mean spirited towards the source material, but give it an affectionate parody. So not "G.I. Joe is sacrosanct and must be treated as a serious work of art" but not "The original sucked, let's insult it and the people that grew up with it" either. More "G.i. Joe was ludicrous, and that's why we love it". And for the love of god, keep political/social virtue signalling out of it.

Thats what cartoons are for. The moment you use live actors and have them be "less cool" you just have a parody.

Dude, it's hard to get less cool than the 80s G.I. Joe or Transformers cartoons. Not to say they're unwatchable, but they aren't good. They're fun because they're so, so silly.


Why do you people who think Transformers are so uncool spend time posting on a Transformers site. Go the F away.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932697)
Posted by Evil Eye on January 20th, 2018 @ 3:48pm CST
hausjam wrote:
Black Hat wrote:
Rated X wrote:
Black Hat wrote:Speaking of Hasbro movies, it's a shame G.I. Joe is basically dead because even as someone who honestly never grew up with it, I wouldn't mind a proper G.I. Joe movie that took advantage of just how silly the whole thing was. So no attempts to make it too "cool" or "edgy" or whatever; by all means modernize some of the designs so they look good on screen, but aim for that absolutely ridiculous 80s cheese charm. Everyone has laser rifles, Cobra are completely incompetent, Cobra Commander is a screeching lunatic (get Scott McNeil to play him!), etc etc. Don't be mean spirited towards the source material, but give it an affectionate parody. So not "G.I. Joe is sacrosanct and must be treated as a serious work of art" but not "The original sucked, let's insult it and the people that grew up with it" either. More "G.i. Joe was ludicrous, and that's why we love it". And for the love of god, keep political/social virtue signalling out of it.

Thats what cartoons are for. The moment you use live actors and have them be "less cool" you just have a parody.

Dude, it's hard to get less cool than the 80s G.I. Joe or Transformers cartoons. Not to say they're unwatchable, but they aren't good. They're fun because they're so, so silly.


Why do you people who think Transformers are so uncool spend time posting on a Transformers site. Go the F away.

Hey, I LIKE Transformers. I just think G1 is very, very silly. Not bad, just...silly. And certainly not worth taking overly seriously.

Lighten up a bit.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932712)
Posted by Rated X on January 20th, 2018 @ 5:46pm CST
Black Hat wrote:
Rated X wrote:
Black Hat wrote:Speaking of Hasbro movies, it's a shame G.I. Joe is basically dead because even as someone who honestly never grew up with it, I wouldn't mind a proper G.I. Joe movie that took advantage of just how silly the whole thing was. So no attempts to make it too "cool" or "edgy" or whatever; by all means modernize some of the designs so they look good on screen, but aim for that absolutely ridiculous 80s cheese charm. Everyone has laser rifles, Cobra are completely incompetent, Cobra Commander is a screeching lunatic (get Scott McNeil to play him!), etc etc. Don't be mean spirited towards the source material, but give it an affectionate parody. So not "G.I. Joe is sacrosanct and must be treated as a serious work of art" but not "The original sucked, let's insult it and the people that grew up with it" either. More "G.i. Joe was ludicrous, and that's why we love it". And for the love of god, keep political/social virtue signalling out of it.

Thats what cartoons are for. The moment you use live actors and have them be "less cool" you just have a parody.

Dude, it's hard to get less cool than the 80s G.I. Joe or Transformers cartoons. Not to say they're unwatchable, but they aren't good. They're fun because they're so, so silly.

I was 8 years old in 1984 when those cartoons came out. So I feel I was like the perfect age for them....not too old, not too young. With that being said, I can admit there was a certain amount of silliness in those cartoons. But that silliness is from an adult perspective looking back at them now. Believe me, there were cartoons that came on before GI Joe/Transformers (usually played back to back) that were more silly and meant for 5 year olds. And those more silly cartoons made GI Joe/Transformers cartoons seem pretty serious to an average 8 year old. Especially in 1986 when characters actually got killed in the cartoons. (Or mortally wounded like Duke in GI Joe) Also some episodes in Transformers had a very adult message. Go watch a particular episode called "The Gods Gambit". In a nutshell, it basically alleged that gods are fictional characters used to levi taxes on a gullable population by its leaders. And then the Transformers arrive and the Decepticons conspire with the leaders pretend to be the gods. Meanwhile the Autobots try to convince the general public that gods are fake and they are really aliens. So basically youve got the entire premise of the show "Ancient Aliens" 25 years before it premiered. Try putting that topic in a kids cartoon today. I guarentee it wouldn't make it on the air.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932713)
Posted by Rated X on January 20th, 2018 @ 5:57pm CST
Sabrblade wrote:
Rated X wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:
Rated X wrote:Some far fetched things are just not as cool as others when it comes to live action movies. I dont see any Gobots live action movies coming our way either...
In the specific case of GoBots, it's because that really can't happen since it's a dead franchise whose ownership rights have been split across three different companies, two of which are even rival competitor companies.


In the case of the (cough cough) offical Machine Robo figures, I would be inclined to believe money talks.
That's all done on Bandai's end. Machine Robo is considered a separate brand from GoBots much like how both the original and currently new Diaclone lines are separate from Transformers. Bandai owns everything Machine Robo, while Warner Bros. owns the GoBots cartoon and Hasbro owns the GoBots intellectual property.

Rated X wrote:Maybe certain characters or even the name "Gobots" might not be able to be used. But something can easily be done to circumvent the legal woes.
Bandai can allow Action Toys to do anything with their new Machine Robo toys as long as they're sold as Machine Robo and not GoBots since Bandai doesn't own the GoBots IP.

Rated X wrote:But the interest just isnt there. Gobots will always be seen as wanna-be Transformers in America. They were back then and they would be now if a film came out. The only time I can think of that 2 competing franchises equally held their own in popularity was Mortal Kombat vs. Street Fighter.
Indeed. Transformers was the stronger of the two back then, marketed better and handled better between its two parent companies (Hasbro and Takara) overall. And nowadays, GoBots has the infamous reputation of having been unanimously lame even though it was only a slightly, rather than a significantly, weaker series than the Transformers.


Well with all that being said, they could do a "Machine Robo" movie with Bandai's blessing. Of course it would be better off for an Asian market. And if Hasbro wanted to make it a live action movie, they probably wouldnt need to have Warner Bros. blessing as long as its an original story free of cartoon references. The legal stuff could be worked out. If only the cool factor was there...lol
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932725)
Posted by Burn on January 20th, 2018 @ 6:37pm CST
hausjam wrote:Go the F away.

Hi ... you won't mind if I hover behind you for a bit?
Cool.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932733)
Posted by Evil Eye on January 20th, 2018 @ 7:08pm CST
Rated X wrote:
Black Hat wrote:
Rated X wrote:
Black Hat wrote:Speaking of Hasbro movies, it's a shame G.I. Joe is basically dead because even as someone who honestly never grew up with it, I wouldn't mind a proper G.I. Joe movie that took advantage of just how silly the whole thing was. So no attempts to make it too "cool" or "edgy" or whatever; by all means modernize some of the designs so they look good on screen, but aim for that absolutely ridiculous 80s cheese charm. Everyone has laser rifles, Cobra are completely incompetent, Cobra Commander is a screeching lunatic (get Scott McNeil to play him!), etc etc. Don't be mean spirited towards the source material, but give it an affectionate parody. So not "G.I. Joe is sacrosanct and must be treated as a serious work of art" but not "The original sucked, let's insult it and the people that grew up with it" either. More "G.i. Joe was ludicrous, and that's why we love it". And for the love of god, keep political/social virtue signalling out of it.

Thats what cartoons are for. The moment you use live actors and have them be "less cool" you just have a parody.

Dude, it's hard to get less cool than the 80s G.I. Joe or Transformers cartoons. Not to say they're unwatchable, but they aren't good. They're fun because they're so, so silly.

I was 8 years old in 1984 when those cartoons came out. So I feel I was like the perfect age for them....not too old, not too young. With that being said, I can admit there was a certain amount of silliness in those cartoons. But that silliness is from an adult perspective looking back at them now.
Well of course. But "I enjoyed it as a kid" =/= "It is objectively good". I've been watching through G1 (last ep I watched was Hoist goes Hollywood) and some of the episodes are so, so bad. Enjoyable, but still bad. Not to say kids' cartoons can't be good (look at Beast Wars or Animated) but G1, as much as I love it, was ludicrous.
Believe me, there were cartoons that came on before GI Joe/Transformers (usually played back to back) that were more silly and meant for 5 year olds. And those more silly cartoons made GI Joe/Transformers cartoons seem pretty serious to an average 8 year old.

Again. To an 8 year old, maybe. But we aren't 8 anymore. I'm 21 and you're 42. If you tried making a Transformers movie that was just like an episode of G1, and it took itself completely seriously, it'd tank. If you're going to make a live-action movie of something as silly as Transformers or G.I. Joe, you have two options.
1: Remake it from the ground up with a completely different tone and very little resemblance to the original show.
2: Keep the tone of the original but don't take yourself too seriously.
Especially in 1986 when characters actually got killed in the cartoons. (Or mortally wounded like Duke in GI Joe)

You mean "Got killed off to make room for new toys, which almost never happened again after the insane backlash"? I mean, dude, I like the 86 movie a whole lot, but it's still not a serious work of art. It was still, at the end of the day, a kinda shallow attempt to sell toys, albeit one with pretty awesome music and animation.
Also some episodes in Transformers had a very adult message. Go watch a particular episode called "The Gods Gambit". In a nutshell, it basically alleged that gods are fictional characters used to levi taxes on a gullable population by its leaders. And then the Transformers arrive and the Decepticons conspire with the leaders pretend to be the gods. Meanwhile the Autobots try to convince the general public that gods are fake and they are really aliens. So basically youve got the entire premise of the show "Ancient Aliens" 25 years before it premiered. Try putting that topic in a kids cartoon today. I guarentee it wouldn't make it on the air.

I've watched The God Gambit. Even with the (admittedly interesting, if ham-fisted) message, it was still very, very daft, not to mention horrendously animated. Serious social commentary it ain't. And it was probably one of the only episodes that tried doing anything even remotely different- the rest of the series (ESPECIALLY season 2, the one everyone remembers) is pretty much 100% cheese (whilst God Gambit was 95%). As for "It wouldn't air today", I wasn't aware you were a TV executive with insider knowledge.

See, here's the thing. I like G1, G1 is funny and it has some fun characters. But if you want to make a serious, non-comedic live action movie based on the premise of robots that turn into vehicles, you're going to have to make some changes. You can't just do the G1 cartoon again. The only reason the franchise has survived as long as it has is because it's continually re-invented itself to appeal to different demographics over time. If they'd just tried to do G1 forever and ever it would be dead and buried. In fact, I'd argue that if it weren't for Beast Wars, which not only completely reinvented the story but also dramatically improved it, the Transformers fandom would not exist. It'd just be another 80s cartoon everyone forgot about. The munky saved the trukk.

Not to say we should throw away G1 altogether of course, that would be silly. But believing it to be sacrosanct and any form of deviation from it to be heresy is just stupid. If you wanna watch G1, hey, you can. But that doesn't mean that we should never try anything new with the brand ever again.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932737)
Posted by Rated X on January 20th, 2018 @ 8:48pm CST
Black Hat wrote:
Rated X wrote:
Black Hat wrote:
Rated X wrote:
Black Hat wrote:Speaking of Hasbro movies, it's a shame G.I. Joe is basically dead because even as someone who honestly never grew up with it, I wouldn't mind a proper G.I. Joe movie that took advantage of just how silly the whole thing was. So no attempts to make it too "cool" or "edgy" or whatever; by all means modernize some of the designs so they look good on screen, but aim for that absolutely ridiculous 80s cheese charm. Everyone has laser rifles, Cobra are completely incompetent, Cobra Commander is a screeching lunatic (get Scott McNeil to play him!), etc etc. Don't be mean spirited towards the source material, but give it an affectionate parody. So not "G.I. Joe is sacrosanct and must be treated as a serious work of art" but not "The original sucked, let's insult it and the people that grew up with it" either. More "G.i. Joe was ludicrous, and that's why we love it". And for the love of god, keep political/social virtue signalling out of it.

Thats what cartoons are for. The moment you use live actors and have them be "less cool" you just have a parody.

Dude, it's hard to get less cool than the 80s G.I. Joe or Transformers cartoons. Not to say they're unwatchable, but they aren't good. They're fun because they're so, so silly.

I was 8 years old in 1984 when those cartoons came out. So I feel I was like the perfect age for them....not too old, not too young. With that being said, I can admit there was a certain amount of silliness in those cartoons. But that silliness is from an adult perspective looking back at them now.
Well of course. But "I enjoyed it as a kid" =/= "It is objectively good". I've been watching through G1 (last ep I watched was Hoist goes Hollywood) and some of the episodes are so, so bad. Enjoyable, but still bad. Not to say kids' cartoons can't be good (look at Beast Wars or Animated) but G1, as much as I love it, was ludicrous.
Believe me, there were cartoons that came on before GI Joe/Transformers (usually played back to back) that were more silly and meant for 5 year olds. And those more silly cartoons made GI Joe/Transformers cartoons seem pretty serious to an average 8 year old.

Again. To an 8 year old, maybe. But we aren't 8 anymore. I'm 21 and you're 42. If you tried making a Transformers movie that was just like an episode of G1, and it took itself completely seriously, it'd tank. If you're going to make a live-action movie of something as silly as Transformers or G.I. Joe, you have two options.
1: Remake it from the ground up with a completely different tone and very little resemblance to the original show.
2: Keep the tone of the original but don't take yourself too seriously.
Especially in 1986 when characters actually got killed in the cartoons. (Or mortally wounded like Duke in GI Joe)

You mean "Got killed off to make room for new toys, which almost never happened again after the insane backlash"? I mean, dude, I like the 86 movie a whole lot, but it's still not a serious work of art. It was still, at the end of the day, a kinda shallow attempt to sell toys, albeit one with pretty awesome music and animation.
Also some episodes in Transformers had a very adult message. Go watch a particular episode called "The Gods Gambit". In a nutshell, it basically alleged that gods are fictional characters used to levi taxes on a gullable population by its leaders. And then the Transformers arrive and the Decepticons conspire with the leaders pretend to be the gods. Meanwhile the Autobots try to convince the general public that gods are fake and they are really aliens. So basically youve got the entire premise of the show "Ancient Aliens" 25 years before it premiered. Try putting that topic in a kids cartoon today. I guarentee it wouldn't make it on the air.

I've watched The God Gambit. Even with the (admittedly interesting, if ham-fisted) message, it was still very, very daft, not to mention horrendously animated. Serious social commentary it ain't. And it was probably one of the only episodes that tried doing anything even remotely different- the rest of the series (ESPECIALLY season 2, the one everyone remembers) is pretty much 100% cheese (whilst God Gambit was 95%). As for "It wouldn't air today", I wasn't aware you were a TV executive with insider knowledge.

See, here's the thing. I like G1, G1 is funny and it has some fun characters. But if you want to make a serious, non-comedic live action movie based on the premise of robots that turn into vehicles, you're going to have to make some changes. You can't just do the G1 cartoon again. The only reason the franchise has survived as long as it has is because it's continually re-invented itself to appeal to different demographics over time. If they'd just tried to do G1 forever and ever it would be dead and buried. In fact, I'd argue that if it weren't for Beast Wars, which not only completely reinvented the story but also dramatically improved it, the Transformers fandom would not exist. It'd just be another 80s cartoon everyone forgot about. The munky saved the trukk.

Not to say we should throw away G1 altogether of course, that would be silly. But believing it to be sacrosanct and any form of deviation from it to be heresy is just stupid. If you wanna watch G1, hey, you can. But that doesn't mean that we should never try anything new with the brand ever again.


Man I just turned 41, dont call me 42 lol !

Well I personally think the G1 silliness was more because the cartoon was so 80s. Almost like me watching some Rocketeer type stuff from the 50s and calling it silly. Silly for me yes, but the dream of man in space was oh so serious in the 1950s and srarted the cold war over a monkey in space.

On your two movie options:

Youre first option is basically what Michael bay did. And theres no dispute all 5 films had their silly moments to appeal to kids or men. Youre second option is a bit harder to pull off because whats silly in a cartoon would probably translate to stupid with live actors. (At least in my opinion)

As far as the corporate reason for killing off characters, it is what it is. I didnt know that as a kid. And I dont doubt some kids were heartbroken even though it didnt hit me hard like that. I actually thought it was silly that they all shot at each other and nobody ever got killed. But then again how many times can waspinator get blown to bits or squashed and be back in one piece the next episode. So dont praise Beast Wars for being better on the basis of being less silly. Beast Wars had its moments, and rubber duckies. What I do believe is that a G1 movie or series can be successful if it is done to mirror fiction similar to IDW comics. But half of those stories didnt even have humans in it so it would basically be a CGI movie with human voice actors. That might be really cool considering how much hate the humans get in every other Transformers series and movie.

Im no TV executive with insider knowledge but I am a 41 year old who has seen America change over the last 30 years. Specifically on the topic of religion. The subject on what and what not to teach kids about religon has been an ongoing debate. 30 years ago a bunch of athiests could get away with putting a secret message in a cartoon. Now a days it would draw protest from parents that live in more conservative regions of the country. From there you get into politics and you know the rest. Im under the impression you dont have to deal with that as much in Canada. If yes, you are lucky.
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1932758)
Posted by Ultra Markus on January 21st, 2018 @ 1:29am CST
some things are better left animated(GIJOE) unless the right person can make it happen the right way
Re: ROM and M.A.S.K. Live-Action Movies Not Likely to Happen Anymore (1933011)
Posted by Rodimus Knight on January 22nd, 2018 @ 12:19pm CST
Black Hat wrote:Speaking of Hasbro movies, it's a shame G.I. Joe is basically dead because even as someone who honestly never grew up with it, I wouldn't mind a proper G.I. Joe movie that took advantage of just how silly the whole thing was. So no attempts to make it too "cool" or "edgy" or whatever; by all means modernize some of the designs so they look good on screen, but aim for that absolutely ridiculous 80s cheese charm. Everyone has laser rifles, Cobra are completely incompetent, Cobra Commander is a screeching lunatic (get Scott McNeil to play him!), etc etc. Don't be mean spirited towards the source material, but give it an affectionate parody. So not "G.I. Joe is sacrosanct and must be treated as a serious work of art" but not "The original sucked, let's insult it and the people that grew up with it" either. More "G.i. Joe was ludicrous, and that's why we love it". And for the love of god, keep political/social virtue signalling out of it.



I've been re-watching GI Joe from the beginning, and Honestly Cobra isn't as incompetent as I originally believed over the years. In way to many cases GI Joe came out on top, because of some ridiculous circumstances and amazing coincidences lining up. Cobra Commander did become more incompetent along the way, true, but if you watch the first couple of mini-series especially, Cobra was no joke.

GI Joe did get over the top on some things, but it was fun. That was one of the major things missing in the live action movies. the movies weren't bad as far as action movies, but no, it didn't feel like GI Joe to the people who grew up with it.

Plus they went from GI JOE: A Real American Hero to GI JOE Pawns of the UN.

Transformers and More @ The Seibertron Store

Visit our store on eBay
These are affiliate links. We may earn commissions when you purchase items or services through these links.
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "HARDHEAD Transformers Universe Ultra complete + instructions 2009 230920A"
NEW!
HARDHEAD Transform ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "HARDHEAD + FUROS Transformers Titans Return Deluxe complete + more 2016 231208X"
NEW!
HARDHEAD + FUROS T ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "WFC-GS25 TRANSMUTATE Transformers Generations Selects Deluxe Hasbro 2021 New"
WFC-GS25 TRANSMUTA ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "CLOUDRAKER Transformers Titans Return Generations Legends complete 2017 231209A"
NEW!
CLOUDRAKER Transfo ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "ONLAUGHT Transformers Combiner Wars Voyager complete Bruticus 2016 230903A"
ONLAUGHT Transform ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "TRANSFORMERS UNIVERSE #2 Marvel Comics 1987 (CA) Trimpe (W) Budiansky 230926S"
TRANSFORMERS UNIVE ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "TRANSFORMERS UNIVERSE #1 Marvel Comics 1986 (CA) Trimpe (W) Budiansky 230926R"
TRANSFORMERS UNIVE ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "WHEELJACK Transformers Generations Deluxe complete Hasbro 2011 230809A"
NEW!
WHEELJACK Transfor ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "LIFT-TICKET Transformers Legacy Deluxe Generations Selects Hasbro 2022 New"
LIFT-TICKET Transf ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "PROWL Transformers Universe Spy Changer complete Hasbro 2005 230821A"
PROWL Transformers ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "TRANSFORMERS UNIVERSE #2 Marvel Comics 1987 (CA) Trimpe (W) Budiansky 230926T"
TRANSFORMERS UNIVE ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "STARSCREAM Transformers Generations Alt-Modes Series 1 Hasbro 2016"
STARSCREAM Transfo ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "BLITZWING + HAZARD Transformers Titans Return Voyager complete 2017 231208L"
NEW!
BLITZWING + HAZARD ...
Visit shop.seibertron.com to buy "SCATTERSHOT Transformers Combiner Wars Voyager complete Betatron 2016 230903A"
SCATTERSHOT Transf ...
* Price and quantities subject to change. Shipping costs, taxes and other fees not included in cost shown. Refer to listing for current price and availability.
Find the items above and thousands more at the Seibertron Store on eBay
Transformers Podcast: Twincast / Podcast #345 - The Roast
Twincast / Podcast #345:
"The Roast"
MP3 · iTunes · RSS · View · Discuss · Ask
Posted: Saturday, March 9th, 2024

Featured Products on Amazon.com

These are affiliate links. We may earn commissions when you purchase items or services through these links.
Buy "Transformers Titans Return Grotusque and Scorponok Deluxe Action Figure Exclusive Set" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Power of The Primes Deluxe Class Terrorcon Blot" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Power of The Primes Deluxe Class Dinobot Snarl" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Power of The Primes Evolution Nemesis Prime (Amazon Exclusive)" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Toys Megatron Cyberverse Ultimate Class Action Figure - Repeatable Fusion Mega Shot Action Attack Move - Toys for Kids 6 and Up, 11.5-inch" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Studio Series 13 Voyager Class Movie 2 Megatron" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Studio Series Number 14 Voyager Class Autobot Ironhide" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Power of The Primes Deluxe Class Autobot Moonracer" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Legends Class Wreck-Gar" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Combiner Wars Legends Class Protectobot Groove Figure" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Deluxe Titans Return Autobots Throttle and Breakaway Action Figure" on AMAZON
Buy "Transformers Generations Legends Class Skrapnel and Reflector Figures" on AMAZON