Collider sat down with Hailee Steinfeld; the star actress of Bumblebee: The Movie, to talk a bit about the work she did. Her answers are quite similar to what was stated before, but it’s interesting to know that Director Travis Knight is doing a stellar job on the set and how this movie will be much closer to the Transformers Fans.
What is that like going to this huge, big budget…
Steinfeld: It’s not even that. Going from a movie being one of ten females, one of a million cast members to like me and a tennis ball on a stick was quite a shock, but one of the challenges I was willing to accept. It was really incredible. I worked with Travis Knight, who directed [Bumblebee]. It was interesting – with his background in animation, he had a clear end result visually what this film could be. It was nice to have someone who had that because I could use my imagination until the end of the day but it could be something completely different than what they’re thinking. He created these pre-viz for every action sequence that involves the Transformers. I could see it out. He was amazing and the whole experience was really cool. I can’t wait to see it.
How does it compare to other Transformers movies?
Steinfeld: It takes place in the 80s, of course. And it’s very character and storyline driven, which is a bit different, but it still has the elements that Transformers fans love and will see in the movie.
Check out the full interview at Collider.
Galvatross
The thing is the Transformers merely thought the Allspark came to their world and created them. And while it's true they were given life by the Allspark, Optimus' opening narration clearly indicates that they didn't know where it came from, and his dialogue after Shanghai in RotF indicates what history they knew about their race was written in the Allspark.
"You think you were born? No, you were built," merely indicates that their physical, robotic bodies were built before they became living beings. That gels with Lockdown saying "You were built to do as you were told."
Transformium is merely the programmable metal Transformers were made of. The Transformers were originally built as non-sentient, mechanical slaves, which explains why Optimus and the Autobots seemingly aren't aware of the Creators' existence until Lockdown captures Prime. He literally didn't remember being built because he hadn't been given life by the Allspark yet, and I suppose being given life by the Allspark could count as being "born."
Optimus didn't know or remember his own history in full. Lockdown was well aware of that.
Which as I briefly pointed out are shown in Megatron's little Decepticon refugee camp in Africa in Dark of the Moon
CKPRIME
You don't actually see them traveling through space, only entering Earth's atmosphere.
That doesn't make any sense. Why would they be if they are different plots? Not to mention some of them are destroyed. The Allspark, destroyed. The space bridge contol pillar, destroyed. The seed, hidden. The matrix, what use would that be if the sun harvester is out of commission?
st.ranger
It is interesting, that all Transformers are able to travel on Earth through space, but army on Moon not.
Allspark from first movie is no need anymore? That means Allspark and machine from RotF are useless and story should start with DotM. In AoE Galvatron no need anything, just Seed for Transformium. In TLK Megatron no need anything before, now he need staff.
Every movie bring some kind of artefact, that trigger something.
With every new movie, artefact from previous movie are no longer for use in main plot. At least Allspark revive Megatron in RotF, in DotM, Sentinel has been revived with Matrix.
I am not sure about DotM, that was pain for me to watch that crap.
Allspark -> Matrix -> Pylons -> Seed -> Merlin's staff
Your points are not what I am pointing.
From first movie, Optimus Prime: That is how our race was born.
From AoE, Lockdown: You think you were born? No, you were built.
Someone should take it like extending the idea, but what about hatchlings in RotF? There are just a lot of mess and nonsense and I hope that someday there will be a better movie.
I thought there will be a lot interesting reading in Transformers Game about Bayformers lore, but it it full of stupidity.
Bayverse Full Prequel Timeline Layout
I just hope Bumblebee will be better. TLK was really big disappointment. I do not like the character, because he is still unable to talk, but I try it.
It would be interesting, if Bumblebee will be talking in his movie and lost voice module in it. That will deny comics prequel and maybe even line from Ratchet from first movie.
CKPRIME
That's how I see it.
MattDallas
Am I the only one who doesn't see Bumbebee & Barricade as arch enemies? To me, it was just that Barricade was the first to find Sam and so Bumblebee and him just had to have the first TF V TF in the first film.
Or have I missed some backstory?
CKPRIME
Well, if you recall from DoTM, he needed the space bridge to actually get them to Earth.
And of course, Transformers is the only series this has happened to. No other movie series retcon previous movies.
st.ranger
In 2007 movie, Megatron needs Allspark to build army. But he already have army on Moon. That is because there were no ideas about sequels.
With every movie, the knowledge about Transformers changing. Some ideas has been expanded, but Transformers living and helping humans is really dumb.
Well, I am glad I erased memories on these movies, it was really painful to watch DotM and TLK in theater, at least I saw both once and no more.
transf0
Dude, come on. This is literally the worst "point" you could make.
Nothing more to say than that. Each movie definitely at least acknowledges and builds upon the previous ones. I mean the whole opening of ROTF with the Optimus monologue, energon detectors, people turning against all TFs because of Chicago… it all makes sense.
Galvatross
LoL what? The only movie this may be true for is The Last Knight, which in my opinion has a few concepts that are not connected well with the previous film (Knights, Galvatron/Megatron suddenly working with Quintessa, and an exploration of Transformer origins). And at least The Last Knight has a being claiming to be the Creator, even if I wish it delved much deeper into Transformer origins and gave more to Quintessa as a character. All of the other sequels at least logically follow the film in front of them.
RotF has NEST, which results from the Mission City battle. Decepticons looking for an Allspark shard and seeking to revive Megatron, whose corpse is thousands of feet deep underwater on the sea floor.
DotM has a physically damaged Megatron from the events in Egypt. It has some surviving hatchlings. It has Prime with the Matrix of leadership.
And Age of Extinction's entire plot is based on the effects from the Chicago battle. Megatron's head, humans trying to learn from the remains of Cybertronian bodies and technology, and humans no longer trusting either faction.
CKPRIME
How do you know this?
It's not just references, direct story ideas are taken from the cartoon.
st.ranger
Seems like you did not understand me. Again.
I said screenwritters and MB does not know much about Transformers, several references mean nothing, it is nice detail, but it is not everything.
Prowl was not in Bayformers. Lets say that inspiration is mostly in Generations One, there are several exceptions. And Hot Rod is pretty bad inspiration in every way.
Original cartoon is 30 years old and have a lot of mistakes, but does it mean that movie adaptation should have these mistakes too? Look what Disney did with Marvel. It is connected and it make sense. Every Bayformers deny what was in previous movie or turn it upside down.
Galvatross
This is why I genuinely think Bay and company understand Transformers much better than some fans.
Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1 has alien bounty hunters hunting Autobots for the creators of the Transformers….kind of like the fourth movie.
"Madman's Paradise" has a Quintesson sorcerer who is enemies with a powerful dragon…just like The Last Knight has the sorceress Quintessa as the enemy of a group of Knights who combine to form a powerful dragon.
In RotF Jetfire switches sides to the Autobots, just like in his first cartoon appearance.
Not to mention the 2007 movie has quotes ripped straight from G1. "Atlantis, Arise!" has Megatron deposing Abe Lincoln in DC and sitting on his new throne…just like in Dark of the Moon, which is also an amalgamation of "Megatron's Master Plan" and "The Ultimate Doom."
I could give additional examples, too.
CKPRIME
So that pretty much confirms what I have been saying. The writers know more about Transformers than you do.
So what? Do you want it to be nothing but single reference? Then go watch the cartoon. Yeah buried in "toilet jokes" the same way that Guardians of the Galaxy is buried in them.
G1 Prowl versus Animated Prowl, just think about it. All the name slaps from Beast Wars, just think about it.
It does what it's needed to do, what's your point?
st.ranger
I saw five movies, only two movies used something from original cartoon, so basically on that experience I have feeling they did it this way.
And again, one scene, one reference and that 2 hours of boring human scenes? I know what you try to say, but all of this is buried in toilet jokes.
Animated Hot Rod versus Bayformers Hot Rot, just think about it.
After 30 years movies screenwritters could realize what their Matrix could do. Wonder where that ugly whale tooth left. Well, not really.
CKPRIME
Are you a mind reader?
I also pointed out using a device to drain the Sun's energy, like in the episode "Changing Gears". Everyone hates TLK but Bumblebee snapping Optimus out of a rampage is a direct reference to what happened in "Attack of the Autobots"
You blatantly ignoring things like that makes me wonder if they know more about Transformers than you do. Like I alluded to in a previous post.
That's common through out all the series. I guess the writers of Beast Wars, Animated, Prime and the others don't know much about Transformers.
Like the original Matrix's powers weren't vague to use it for the convenience of the story? It destroys Unicron's body, mutates Scourge, and cures the Hate Plague.
st.ranger
Screenwritters read description of several episodes.
I think the only one movie which had something to do with cartoon was Dark of the Moon, but still it was stupid movie.
They almost ignore Transformers characteres, in Bayformers a lot of names of robots are just names without inspiration, Hot Rod just for example.
And Matrix of Leadership? Is it key, or ressurection device or what? Well, I really do not care.
The Last Knight is result of the mess and it deserved to be like this.
CKPRIME
Or the person claiming they don't know about Transformers doesn't know as much as they think they do…
transf0
Seriously, you have to braindead to look at the films and say they have no knowledge of the Transformers universe, including the cartoons. One look at the special features confirms the insane amount of time they looked through all TF incarnations to draw inspiration for the movies.
CKPRIME
Is that not what you meant by calling it a mess?
And that's still ridiculous. Weather you think it's good or not is irrelevant. They use plot points DIRECTLY from the cartoons, like bringing Cybertron to Earth or using a device to drain the energy from the Sun. That is knowledge of the cartoon. Is it not?
st.ranger
I did not talk about plot holes, where did you get that?
Fine, lets take it from beginning.
In my point of view screenwritters and director does not know much about Transformers and if they put several references from cartoon to movie, that does not make plot or good movie.
Got it this time?