EXCLUSIVE: Two months after Paramount and the Transformers brain trust of Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg and Lorenzo di Bonaventura picked Akiva Goldsman to incubate ideas for a multi-part sequel and spinoff films based on the billion-dollar franchise, they have finalized their “writers room.” And it’s a doozy.
Goldsman’s four-team roster features some of the top names in sci-fi, I’ve learned: Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, Iron Man scribes Art Marcum & Matt Holloway, Pacific Rim 2‘s Zak Penn and Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Lost‘s Jeff Pinkner. I’m hearing the ink isn’t even dry on the deals, but that is a major-league lineup to join Goldsman, who is spearheading it all for the studio, Hasbro, Spielberg and Bay (Bay and Goldsman were college buddies at Wesleyan). More writers will be added.
This is a major priority for new Motion Picture Group President Marc Evans, who’s tasked with getting more movies made. It marks an intriguing new step as studios put even more of a premium on the care and feeding of tentpole franchises, as is the case with James Cameron’s Avatar sequels and Disney’s process for developing its Marvel tentpoles.
Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
Posted by Va'al
May 20, 2015 at 6:18pm CDT
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Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by DedicatedGhostArt
May 20, 2015
Lol Robert Kirkman would do a great job! 
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by Seibertron
May 20, 2015
That might be the most exciting Transformers movie news I've heard in quite a while. That's quite a roster of people already familiar with large groups of characters. Very excited about Walking Dead's Kirkman (though he can leave killing fan-favorite characters at the doorstep).
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by Peridot
May 20, 2015
Paramount, you had my curiosity, but now, you have my attention.
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by JazZeke
May 20, 2015
I am intrigued.
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by griftimus prime
May 20, 2015
how is this exciting? what is the spinoff about?
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by Jones
May 20, 2015
Hey, when it comes to anything that expands the Transformers universe, I'm a firm believer in this:
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by MartianSpyGirl1996
May 20, 2015
Robert's TWD episodes are the worst in the series, Pacific Rim was braindead, and TASM2 was awful... I don't expect these will be any better that ROTF. Keep in mind the guy who wrote The Ring wrote DOTM and AOE. I thought The Ring was a great movie
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by Shrapnel Shrapnel
May 20, 2015
I'll be interested to see if they can expand story lines that revolve around the robots. To me that is the downfall of the current movies. Humans are not the main characters.
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by Inaction
May 20, 2015
KIRKMAAAAAAAAN!!
-ahem- But yeah, if Rob can get us an actual story, let alone an actual story about the robots that this series is named for, all the better.
-ahem- But yeah, if Rob can get us an actual story, let alone an actual story about the robots that this series is named for, all the better.
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by Tsutsukakushi
May 20, 2015
Think it's positive news on the newer writers. Thought the original writers wrote terrible Tranformers movies.
Now all they need to do is get rid of Micheal bay.
Now all they need to do is get rid of Micheal bay.
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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By whose standards? I just looked at the reception for all the episodes he wrote, and all but one was critically praised.
Comment by SlyTF1
May 20, 2015
MartianSpyGirl1996 wrote:Robert's TWD episodes are the worst in the series, Pacific Rim was braindead, and TASM2 was awful... I don't expect these will be any better that ROTF. Keep in mind the guy who wrote The Ring wrote DOTM and AOE. I thought The Ring was a great movie
By whose standards? I just looked at the reception for all the episodes he wrote, and all but one was critically praised.
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by OptimalOptimus2
May 20, 2015
These are all writers! We need good directors! 
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by TGS1985
May 20, 2015
I read this and immediately two things popped into my head...
1) Optimus running around asking where Bumblebee is and why he isn't in the Arc.
2) An IDW influenced Arcee played/voiced by none other than Carol actress herself, Melissa McBride which just screams complete bad ass to me.
That all aside, it's hard not to take this as great news. Take Kirkmen's Walking Dead influenced character development/story telling and add it to Zak Penn's Pacific Rim's action and it's hard to think we wouldn't end up with a Transformers movie where the (lack of) plot doesn't make your head hurt all the while robot fighting scenes that the viewer can actually follow.
1) Optimus running around asking where Bumblebee is and why he isn't in the Arc.
2) An IDW influenced Arcee played/voiced by none other than Carol actress herself, Melissa McBride which just screams complete bad ass to me.
That all aside, it's hard not to take this as great news. Take Kirkmen's Walking Dead influenced character development/story telling and add it to Zak Penn's Pacific Rim's action and it's hard to think we wouldn't end up with a Transformers movie where the (lack of) plot doesn't make your head hurt all the while robot fighting scenes that the viewer can actually follow.
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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It's a bunch of proposed spinoffs, but that's about the extent of our knowledge. Just.... spinoffs.
Comment by King Kuuga
May 20, 2015
griftimus prime wrote:how is this exciting? what is the spinoff about?
It's a bunch of proposed spinoffs, but that's about the extent of our knowledge. Just.... spinoffs.
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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The greatest of directors can't turn a crap story into gold you know.
Comment by Burn
May 20, 2015
OptimalOptimus2 wrote:These are all writers! We need good directors!
The greatest of directors can't turn a crap story into gold you know.
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Maybe we'll get these spinoffs finally that we've all been demanding for years ...
Transformers: The Adventures of Ron and Judy Witwicky
Transformers: High Times with Judy
Transformers: Sam Witwicky's Wet and Wild Winter
Transformers: Mikeala's Quest
Transformers: Mikeala's Quest Continues in The Hunt for Carly
Transformers: Brazos Wars
Transformers: Family Wars - Witwicky vs Yeager
Transformers: Data Breach (starring Maggie and Glen)
So much potential!
Comment by Seibertron
May 20, 2015
That Bot wrote:griftimus prime wrote:how is this exciting? what is the spinoff about?
It's a bunch of proposed spinoffs, but that's about the extent of our knowledge. Just.... spinoffs.
Maybe we'll get these spinoffs finally that we've all been demanding for years ...
Transformers: The Adventures of Ron and Judy Witwicky
Transformers: High Times with Judy
Transformers: Sam Witwicky's Wet and Wild Winter
Transformers: Mikeala's Quest
Transformers: Mikeala's Quest Continues in The Hunt for Carly
Transformers: Brazos Wars
Transformers: Family Wars - Witwicky vs Yeager
Transformers: Data Breach (starring Maggie and Glen)
So much potential!
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by MaverickPrime
May 20, 2015
At this point, I have zero expectations from movie fiction, when AoE was coming, I expressed my concerns and lack of faith, but still said that I hoped they would make me eat my words, but I've given up, 8 years of wanting a good movie have been too much for me.
I just hope we get good toys out of this.
I just hope we get good toys out of this.
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Sadly, a bad director can easily turn a great story into crap.
Comment by SKYWARPED_128
May 20, 2015
Burn wrote:OptimalOptimus2 wrote:These are all writers! We need good directors!
The greatest of directors can't turn a crap story into gold you know.
Sadly, a bad director can easily turn a great story into crap.
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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I love Kirkman but hopefully not Zombie Transformers!
Comment by padfoo
May 21, 2015
griftimus prime wrote:how is this exciting? what is the spinoff about?
I love Kirkman but hopefully not Zombie Transformers!
Re: Writer Robert Kirkman and More Join Transformers Spin-Offs Writers' Room
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Comment by Windsweeper
May 21, 2015
I can never forgive Akiva Goldsman for writing the atrocity that was Batman and Robin. Teaming him with Michael Bay is anything but good.
