Looks like they're reeeeeally trying to keep the 'Transformers' franchise going...
Josh Cooley, who co-wrote and directed the Oscar-winning Pixar movie 'Toy Story 4', has been given the task of directing a new 'Transformers' movie. Cooley was also one of the screenwriters on 'Inside Out'.
The film will be for theatrical release, animated, and acts as a prequel to the series so far.
The franchise has consisted of five features, all directed by Michael Bay, released between 2007 and 2017, and a 2018 spin-off - 'Bumblebee' - so far.
Interestingly, 'Bumblebee' was the only one to get a positive critical reception; and its director, Travis Knight, is also best-known for his work in animation, notably directing 'Kubo and the Two Strings'.
The sci fi action series grossed a total of $4.3 billion in the box office. Two films in the series grossing over $1 billion each. Mind you, the budgets for the films have also been massive, which may be partly why they're turning to animation as opposed to CGI for this latest effort.
The new 'Transformers' movie also has screenwriters hired in Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari. The pair are renowned for their work on the 'Ant-Man' films.
Story-wise, the film will explore the origins of Megatron and Optimus Prime, and their relationship. It examines the seeds of conflict between the harmony-seeking Autobots and domination-loving Decepticons. It takes place entirely on Cybertron.
