Roberto Orci, who along with Alex Kurtzman excutive produced Transforemers Prime, has taken part in a brief Q&A session with IGN and confirmed his involvement in the next Transformers show.
A key point of the discussion that will interest many of you is the statement about what is coming next. “It’s not really a reboot, it’s sort of a continuation of it [Transformers Prime] in a tonally different form.” – Orci goes on to explain that this means they want to service the right audiences, they don’t want to scare little kids the way Transformers Prime sometimes could. Essentially a parallel series that is “connected” but friendly to the family. In response to a follow-up question on this, Orci states that the look will be more kid-friendly, but the wit will still be there, it won’t be any less entertaining or any less like Transformers, but they don’t want to put off little kids with the series’ intensity.
One thing that is interesting is that when asked if Transformers Prime as a story will be in continuity with this series, Roberto was non-committal, explaining that this very issue is currently under discussion – so while not a complete reboot, it sounds as though the new series being a direct sequel is equally not confirmed.
Watch this space for more news!
Autovolt 127
I feel sort of the same way. I have a feeling the next series will be pretty much like that.
Hanzkaz
I started to get into TF-Prime by season 2, but it feels like we barely scratched the surface of it's potential.
We could see TF-Prime as the equivalent of the final days of the original Cybertronian war, with the next series taking place during a relatively more peaceful era.
Old grudges still exist, and there will still be bad guys trying to stir up trouble, but with a somewhat less apocalyptic vibe in the background, as well as depicting Cybertronians of a less military mindset than those in the current series.
Basilisk
Bored of the Prime Universe just Wrap it Up already and move on.
PG13
I got no problem with something more family friendly. I just hope that they remember the adult fans and do a few more direct-to-DVD releases that can skirt closer to a pg13 rating. Something similar that marvel and dc comics do with there various DVDs, take the great comic stories of transformers and make movies out of them. I'm sure no one will complain about an animated version of the war within or all hail megatron
Flashdisk
I wonder if the reason they want to target children more is so that it doesn't end up competing directly with the films. If that is the case, then I find nothing wrong with the decision. Hasbro's products can't afford to compete with each other. They can't have them target the same niche.
All in all, I greatly enjoyed animated and Rescue bots. And I don't see 'adult' as dependent on the number of bodies a show can pile up. So I'm fairly interested where this show is going.
MaxxieOD
After reading some more comments I got to thinking…it's supposed to be a somewhere between RB and Prime but still in the same universe…maybe the two shows are coming together? Perhaps (since it's out that there's aliens on Earth) the RBs join Team Prime (maybe Heatwave will finally get his wish lol). If it's going 2D, I hope the artwork is good…I'd love to see the RBs in a better art style. I think it could have some great story ideas with the RBs and Autobots together.
Skrunklemin
Sigh. I was really hoping for something refreshing for the next TF series, with completely new people behind it. This seems like the same bullshit safe route Bay is taking with TF4. "It's a reboot but it's not a reboot hehhehehe."
Prime had so much wasted potential with set ups for some really cool plot points… all of which were abruptly thrown out of the window. (Though I'm sure other factors had a hand in that as well) I honestly felt like TFP was kiddie as it is, with occasional mature content thrown in.
I say fine, make the cartoon kid friendly to the max, but why not start putting out direct-to-video animated movies like Marvel does? Imagine the possibilities…
EnergonWaffles
You know, they could easily have simpler designs with CGI and have the characters look just as good. If I remember correctly, each character in BW was only 1 model due to them being simple enough to transform without creating seperate models. TFP had 3 models per character? And Predaking had 400 parts? Good grief no wonder they were so limited with characters. Like somebody else here said, the Predaking model alone was more complicated than entire sets on other shows.
ryu hayabusha
what was rescue bots for?… that's the kiddie show plain and simple, prime continuation should be the same as prime LAME news!!
EnergonWaffles
And Norris…and Combs…and Ironside…and Mensa…
If theres anything Prime did right, it was the voice cast. I'll be sad if this group of VAs is split up.
kaijuguy19
I just wish Arcee is in the next series and is voiced by Sumelee Motana as well.
Autovolt 127
If Steve Blum returns as Starscream, nothing else matters to me.
Dolza_Khyron
well you have to admit, that for a series based on a toy line, PRIME did kill off a lot of those toys that they were trying to sell, before getting the kids to want the toy…
i do think it had way too much death in it. lol death is okay. but killing off characters after 2 minutes of screen time, or after a 30 minute episode, is hardly the best way to market your toys.
Gamma Ray Burst
If the new show is a continuation of Prime, I'll definitely watch at least the first few episodes. I hope it's a good show and has at least some of the same cast/characters. I'd love it if they keep it CGI, since the animation in Prime was one of my favorite things about the show.
The new show being a little lighter makes sense if it picks up where Prime ended, with the war over (for the most part, at least) and Cybertron being rebuilt. With their home revived, the 'Bots have a reason to have a level of hope that they never had before. The talk about making the new show "more kid-friendly" has me worried, though. It just seems like people want to file the edges off everything to make it safe for kids. If you want to make a Transformers show and aim it at kids, that's fine–but what's wrong with making another series and aiming it straight at adults? I can't help wondering how much longer it'll be before everything on TV is kid-friendly and we adults are left with nothing at all.
(Granted, that's how it is for "kid-friendly" stuff on TV in America–what I've seen of it, at least. On the other hand, Doctor Who is considered by many to be a kids or family show, when most of the time it strikes me as "adult." So, different perspectives, and all that. If the new Transformers show takes that approach, I'm okay with it.)
People who watched G1 as kids when it first aired, are watching now as adults–so why not make a series specifically for adults? Make a kid-oriented show, too, I've got no problem with that. But I'd like a show I can watch without cringing at the dialogue or the kind of thing that passes for humor on Spongebob or whatever.
(Quick aside–I used to work in a restaurant that had a TV in the dining room, and the TV was always tuned to either the Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon. I was cleaning tables one afternoon when the dining room was empty, and Spongebob was on. I'd never seen it before, so I stopped to watch it for about two minutes. It was so completely stupid that it actually made me angry. It really did fill me with rage. If this is what is being shoved into kids' heads, the future is fucked. Just push the button now, while we still have a shred of dignity left.)
Anyway. Y'know what I'd absolutely love? A continuation of Prime that airs on HBO or Showtime or whatever, and is aimed at adult viewers. I'm not saying go crazy with sex and violence, or anything like that. I honestly think Prime got the tone right most of the time. Maybe push it a little bit farther in that direction sometimes, but not too far–don't make it relentlessly bleak and bloody like, say, Battlestar Galactica. But keep it mostly serious with bits of humor to break the tension.
And…this is pure fantasy, but the thought of it puts a huge grin on my face–put Malcolm fucking Tucker in charge of Unit-E. Not a similar character. The same actual character. Just think up an excuse to move him from Whitehall to Unit-E. And have Peter Capaldi do the voice. This guy could intimidate Megatron. Imagine the glorious possibilities….
[Censored due to cluster F-bombs, just in case. ]
Heh. Imagining it just makes me happy.
Ash from Carolina
More family friendly can mean so many different things that they have told absolutely nothing. There are shows that seem very kid friendly on the surface only to have some pretty big adult things to them when you see it from the eyes of an adult while on the other hand you have kid friendly things that are just how dumb can we make this show.
If they want fans on board I think they need to be talking Decepticons. Shows with fun bad guys can make for all around fun shows, but if the bad guys are just defanged, neutered, and incompetent then it could be a dull show.
spiritprime
I'm totally not liking where this is going, but if it's still CGI (I'm hoping it is still), and its a sequel to TFP (or so they're saying), then MAYBE I'll reconsider it. The idea of it being toned down just because kids get scared of it is really dumb. The replacement for Rescue Bots is supposed to be for them! UGH! Make up your goddamn minds!
Dolza_Khyron
but a show aimed at kids maybe, should?
do not care who blum voices. as long as he voices someone!
EnergonWaffles
Give it a few years and wait for everybody to put on their rose colored glasses.
On topic: Steve Blum MUST voice Starscream. Or, at least somebody with the same pitch as Blum. I cannot go back to a high pitched whine after this.
uraydo
This is all bad news to me. I can't imagine this show any more child friendly. My 5 year niece loves it for pete's sake. It took me a season and a half to take TF: Prime seriously. Now they are wanting to make something even more dumbed down. Why don't they just write for Rescue Bots and get it over with.
Ryan101
This ^^
The CGI looks amazing, and I'm sure if there are any returning characters they will have the same Voice Actors.