Michael Bay Considering Return to His Highest-Grossing Franchise, Reports Claim

Michael Bay has spoken to Paramount about a return to the Transformers franchise, nearly eight years after stepping away from the director’s chair, according to Deadline.

A few weeks ago, rumors appeared that Bay is now working with Paramount again and is set to direct a brand-new Transformers film. The script will be written by Jordan VanDina, but not much else has been revealed yet.

This news comes as a surprise to many fans, especially since Bay had said before that he was done directing Transformers movies. After 2017’s The Last Knight didn’t do as well as expected, Bay made it clear he wouldn’t return. But now, that’s changed. Belloni says Bay’s return started quietly last year. At first, he was just going to be a producer. But soon, talks turned into something bigger, and he ended up back in the director’s seat.

Belloni believes this reunion happened because both sides need each other. The truth is, the Transformers films haven’t been doing great at the box office since Bay left. Meanwhile, Bay has also had a tough time getting his own projects off the ground. So it seems like the timing was right.

Paramount is also feeling the pressure. The studio has until 2029 to start filming another Transformers movie, or they could lose the rights to the franchise altogether. That deadline is pushing them to make some bold moves, and bringing Bay back is definitely one of them.

Bay helped launch the Transformers franchise back in 2007. His explosive action scenes, wild camera moves, and massive special effects shaped what people now call “Bayhem.” The first three movies, Transformers, Revenge of the Fallen, and Dark of the Moon, were all huge box office hits. Even though critics didn’t love them, they made billions of dollars and turned the 80s toy line into a global film franchise.

After that, things started to slow down. The 2014 film Age of Extinction still crossed the billion-dollar mark, but fans and critics were growing tired of the formula. Then came The Last Knight, which tried to mix Transformers with the legend of King Arthur. It didn’t land well with audiences or critics and only made about $600 million worldwide—a big drop from the earlier films. That’s when Bay decided to step away.

Paramount tried changing things up after Bay left. The 2018 movie Bumblebee, directed by Travis Knight, focused more on character and emotion. It was well-reviewed but made just $468 million. Then came Transformers: Rise of the Beasts in 2023, which tried to blend Bumblebee’s emotional tone with Bay-style action. It ended up with $441.7 million at the box office, which still wasn’t close to the franchise’s earlier highs.

Bay’s return could be just what the series needs to feel big and exciting again. His movies always had that summer blockbuster energy that brought fans to theaters. Whether or not he can repeat that success remains to be seen, but it’s definitely a big swing for Paramount.

What do you think about Bay coming back to direct a new Transformers movie?