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First Bumblebee Trailer Delivers Retro '80s Transformers Action

The Transformers spin-off releases in December.

48 Comments

The future of the Transformers franchise might be uncertain, but we're definitely getting at least one more movie. The spin-off Bumblebee hits theaters in December and will focus on the earlier adventures of the much-loved yellow VW Autobot. The first trailer has now arrived.

The trailer confirms earlier reports that the movie will have a smaller feel than the main Transformers films. It's set in California in the 1980s, and stars Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit) as a young woman who finds Bumblebee in a trash heap. We see Steinfeld and Bumblebee slowly bonding, and there's a brief appearance from Starscream, who, like Bumblebee, can be seen in his classic '80s design. Check it out above.

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Now Playing: Bumblebee - Official Teaser Trailer

Bumblebee also features WWE star John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Jason Drucker (Diary of Wimpy Kid), Ricardo Hoyos (The Belko Experiment), and Gracie Dzienny (Chasing Life). It's directed by Travis Knight, who previously helmed the Oscar-nominated animated movie Kubo And The Two Strings. It hit theaters on December 21.

When Bumblebee was first announced, it was supposed to be the first in an ongoing spin-off universe of Transformers movies. However, last year's Transformers: The Last Knight was a financial disappointment compared to the previous four films. As a result, the Transformers movie originally scheduled for 2019 has been removed entirely from Paramount's schedules.

This follows the rumors back in February that Habsro, the toy manufacturer which owns the rights to Transformers, is planning to reboot the whole franchise. It was also reported that a new agreement with Paramount means that Hasbro will have greater control over the property, including greenlighting movie projects.

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June-GS

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Hmm, so how come 'Bee wasn't with Hailee Steinfeld's character in the first Bay movie in 2007 (even if older)? She dies, doesn't she? Thus, all the crying in the trailer.

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BigCat2K20

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Unfortunately without Michael Bay being involved in this spin off movie, Bumblebee movie trailer looks meh. I'll pass on this movie for variety of reasons.

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ginxeno

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This reminds me of Lindsay Lohan movie in the past with the beetle car and shit

but it looks good and refreshing after all that stupid Bay style

2 • 
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Wraith3

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About time! These actually look like Transformers. I just hope they don't keep up the "Bumblebee can't talk" crap from the other movies. That was supposed to be a one time thing!

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Bread_or_Decide

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@Wraith3: I always found his inability to talk quite charming. And the use of the radio is creative.

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Wraith3

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Edited By Wraith3

@Bread_or_Decide: Oh I had no problem with it in the first movie and it was clever. In the movie Ratchet says his vocal processor, or something, was damaged so he couldn't talk. Then four movies later he still can't talk. It seems like they only intended to do it in the first movie.

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Pyrosa

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@Bread_or_Decide: This is clearly the backstory for that, and is featured heavily. I agree that it's charming.

2 • 
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deactivated-64efdf49333c4

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Kubo was a great movie. I'm now looking forward to this.

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Bread_or_Decide

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@Barighm: He owns and runs Laika. All their stuff is aces.

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kielkaiser

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aaargh what a hell... what in the world gives to this people the idea on making a movie with this caracter???, its looks like a baby transformer and just that is awful and incoherent, hugging the main caracter???, whats this gonna be? a kids movie??, awful, and i just see the first 2 secs of this trailer.... guess and even if its sound like an insult, hasbro should keep making toys, even if they not make the whole history if they gonna have more control on the movies going out, they shouldnt alow this awful thing to see even a scrip, awful, awful, awful

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Donut0389

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@kielkaiser: Can you try repeating that in conherent English? All I got is that you don't like Bumblebee being small. Even though the original 1980s Bumblebee only came up to Optimus Primes knees.

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kielkaiser

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Edited By kielkaiser

@Donut0389: hahaha sorry, guess my english is even worst than this movie will be, and i not mentioned about bumblebee being smaller, it just they expretion he have on the video, like if it were a baby, but after whatching the video some more i see that was the idea.

sorry bout my horrible english, hope this reply is more clear

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Donut0389

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@kielkaiser: No worries. In the original cartoon and comic series, Bumblebee was basically a teenage transformer. And like I said, he only came up to Optimus' knees. He was the smallest of them that wasn't a Minicon.

I'm happy about it. It signals a return to form and step away from the Bay Transformers movies. I like the first Bay Transformers movie fine. But each one after that was just more and more downhill.

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johnny0779

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Edited By johnny0779

Finally, a Transformers movie that respects and honors the classic G1 animation characters.

Hasbro should use this movie as the stepping stone to start fresh, leaving behind the horrid Bayformers horrid stereotypes.

3 • 
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illegal_peanut

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I'm sorry but... Bay ruined transformers for me completely. Like, I can't even look at the logos and smile anymore. I just wince in pain.

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djape_boss

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@illegal_peanut: agree... that guy just has to go full retard on fx... ruined for me as well

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Bread_or_Decide

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@illegal_peanut: You may be pleasantly surprised by what's being offered here, then. Bay is gone. Travis Knight is a real talent.

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CraigTL

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I think I saw the real starscream in there back to his original colors.

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Bread_or_Decide

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@craigtl: Yeah, It's pretty damn cool.

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Bread_or_Decide

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@og_gamerzzz: I don't think UPGRADE would get the same numbers of hits as Bumblebee. If you're running a website that needs to make money then you choose Bumblee over Upgrade.

And who comes here to find out about indie or lesser known films?

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therogerwilco

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I wish they would stop the "feelings" in these movies. The whole franchise has been corrupted by that over the years, and the whole politically correct culture.

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CraigTL

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@therogerwilco: Johny 5 was a live and he had feelings, ET loved Elliot, this is nothing new, when did movies not have feelings? The only thing that is new is this hate everything and blame it on PC culture bandwagon people like to jump on.

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therogerwilco

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@craigtl: I don't hate everything. I just sure don't remember such feelings being displayed by Transformers over the years, especially when the stories first came out. That doesn't mean stories can't change, but to change it because it's just something new and that seems to be how the "louder" part of society is right now? That's crap. But everyone does follow the loud-mouths don't they?

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Bread_or_Decide

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@therogerwilco: Michael Bay, politically correct? WUT.

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illegal_peanut

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Edited By illegal_peanut

@Bread_or_Decide: Exactly. Michael Bay is as, Politically correct. As a Feminist march ran by a 1920s Pimp.

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therogerwilco

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@illegal_peanut: feminism and pimps do have the same things in common.. Good point.

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Bread_or_Decide

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There is some real talent behind this film. Without Bay the designs have finally become less of an eyesore. Love how round bumblee is now. The guy who directed Kubo is going to hit this out of the park. I'm excited. Word is everyone who read the script loved it.

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scatterbrain007

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Tried to watch The Last Knight and I just couldn't. It was just so boring. I'm not the kind to not finish movies either. It takes a lot for me to turn something completely off and give up. This Bumblebee movie actually looks pretty good though. Loving the Gen 1 designs. Hasbro desperately needs to reboot the Transformers. First movie was great, the ones after though, not so much.

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MMX377

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Edited By MMX377

Michael Bay made Transformers movie great again, which was really, really, really worst. Now Travis Knight makes Transformers movie better again.

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beuneus12

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Just keep throwing mud to the wall see what sticks. I guess some people do like mud, since the other movies apparently made money. Or maybe they just like brainless Xplosions!!

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Bread_or_Decide

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@beuneus12: Travis Knight. Look him up and you'll have faith in this one. Even the Decepticons look better now. Everything is round, smooth. Those harsh designs are gone.

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ballaShotCaller

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@beuneus12: are explosions supposed to be mindful?

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Pyrosa

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Edited By Pyrosa

It appears to finally have gotten crucial elements right, but after so many years/films of TF abuse by Bay, I just can't/won't spend money on this.

Huge props for proper 80s BB and SS, at least.

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Bread_or_Decide

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Edited By Bread_or_Decide

@Pyrosa: OR maybe....support the first good transformers movie since the average first one? People really have a backward way of thinking.

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ConsoleHaven

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This looks great. I would really like to see a transformers movie that focuses on the robots in disguise aspect and the war between autobots and decepticons. Rehashing the same Military VS Robots from the recent films is a mistake in my opinion. I think that most humans weren't aware of the transformers sentient natures for much (all?) of the cartoon run. It could add some additional tension as the robots are trying to war with each other in secret.

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Avatar image for deactivated-5b2072723fac3
deactivated-5b2072723fac3

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Ok y'all made the Bumblebee spinoff that for some reason y'all desperately wanted to make. Now can you let the movie franchise die now? Please?

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ConsoleHaven

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@kstaggs3: Why let the movie franchise die. I'm a big fan of transformers. I enjoyed the movies immensely despite some missteps with characters and plot. You can hate the movies all you want, though, but that doesn't mean everyone feels the same.

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deactivated-5b2072723fac3

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@consolehaven: the first movie was great. I loved it. With each movie after that, they slowly and slowly got worse and worse. The box office numbers prove that as well. It either needs a hard reset (which I’m kinda hoping this may be) or it just needs to go.

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Sagittarius476

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@kstaggs3: The first and the third one were good but revenge of the fallen, age of extinction and last knight were terrible, especially last knight! god that movie made me fall asleep in the theaters! Megatron's squad? Bumblebee in WWII? Less transformers and more humans fighting? Wtf was Optimus Prime? lol! god the movie was just bad!

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VFighter

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@sagittarius476: Trust me all the transformer movies are that god awful.

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csward

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Nobody asked for this. I mean I would understand a spinoff movie about the dinobots or the "Beast Wars" cartoon show. Bumblebee is the least interesting character the could use and then they are reusing the story from the first movie (teenager finds transformer unknowingly in junkyard, transformer comes to life and takes them on adventure ect.)

Who green lights these movies? Adam Sandler?

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Bread_or_Decide

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@csward: Who asks for anything? Do you sit around asking for every good film that comes along? Did you ask for John Wick?

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MMX377

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@csward: Paramount Pictures did greenlight Bumblebee movie since they greenlighted Michael Bay's TF horrible and explosion'd movies.

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VFighter

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Edited By VFighter

Dear god no, just no!!!

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Bread_or_Decide

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@vfighter: Travis Knight and better-designed robots. People really do just have knee-jerk reactions to everything these days. BREATHE and read up on who made this film and you'll feel much better.

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VFighter

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@Bread_or_Decide: I did know who he was and yet the movie still looks like utter garbage with better designed robots. Is that supposed to comfort me?

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Bread_or_Decide

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Edited By Bread_or_Decide

@vfighter: Yeah it is. That means for the first time Transformers is in good hands. The guy is an ace storyteller. Runs a studio that makes so little money but he keeps making films because he truly loves the art form. (Kubo and the two strings is a flat-out masterwork.) What exactly looks like "garbage" in this trailer? It gives a sense of the story, the heart, the themes, and visually rescues the series from those awful original designs.

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