Transformers Writers Room Done (But We Already Knew That)

In a bit of inexplicable news that I do not understand why is showing up on all the entertainment and Transformers sites is "confirmation" that the Transformers Writers Room and its leader Akiva Goldsman is done. But that was already true. The whole point of the room was get a bunch of writers together, plot out a potential movie factory of spec scripts, with Hasbro and Paramount potentially using them for future movies. The room ended up coming up with a dozen plus specs good for at least a decades worth of movies. It was always intended to be a one and done.

Two movies were already generated from those session - Transformers: The Last Knight and the Bumblebee movie. The writers, including Goldsman, may or may not be tapped to write future movie scripts based on the specs they produced. Akiva's responsibilities ended when the spec scripts were turned in nearly two years ago. So when others report this like its new news, it seems really to be a complete lack of understanding of what the room's purpose was. Instead the outlets missed an opportunity to try to get information on the real question. Not if the writers room is done (it was and has been for a while).

The real question is Hasbro and Paramount tossing those spec scripts or not? In other words have they lost complete confidence in the writers room output? Its a critical question in light of one of those scripts moving forward in the Bumblebee movie and also where the blame is being laid for the box office failure of Transformers: The Last Knight. Clearly I lay the TF5 blame at Michael Bay's feet, the writers' power on set being non-existent. If the writers room's output was tossed then the executives at Paramount and Hasbro reached a completely different conclusion. Whatever conclusion they reached will inform how who they hire and how they handle Transformers 6 (aka not Bay or more like Bay). Despite all the stories around the room, what we currently know has not changed one iota.

Kirkman Out of Transformers Writers Room

It turns out the baker's dozen that was the Transformers Writers Room last year was really just an actual dozen. From The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman while at SXSW 2016: “I have to say, I was only in that room for a day before I found out that I was having my throat surgery that kept me out of Comic Con.”

Not really major news since his Walking Dead, Outcast and likely future TV responsibilities would have prevented him from writing a Transformers script anyway. This just puts a nail in that particular hope. About the only negative as I see it is Kirkman was one of the few writers in the room that could consistently keep a focus on characterization and story while incorporating spectacle. Based on current info the 12 writers whose two week cram session will influence the next dozen or so years of the Transformers Cinematic Universe are Art Marcum & Matt Holloway (Iron Man, Transformers 5), Zak Penn (Pacific Rim 2) and Jeff Pinkner (Lost, Amazing Spider-Man 2), Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down, Transformers 5), Geneva Robertson-Dworet, Steven S. DeKnight (Daredevil, Spartacus), Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari (Ant-Man, next animated Transformers movie), Akiva Goldsman, Christina Hodson (no released movies yet) and Lindsey Beer (no released movies yet).

Now A Baker's Dozen for TF Writers Room

Yet another has joined the Transformers Writers Room as Daredevil and Spartacus writer/showrunner Steven DeKnight has joined the Transformers Writers Room which convened its first meeting today. The purpose of the 13 writers is to hammer out a Transformers Cinematic Universe based on the various story treatments they develop and get approved to become scripts if approved by Paramount, Hasbro, Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg and a few others. To early to say if this approach pay dividends. In my opinion, as long as Michael Bay continues to be the primary guiding hand behind the current look and feel of Transformers I just don't see how the franchise can evolve no matter how good the scripts might turn out to be.

Goldsman Explains Transformers Writers Room as More Join

Deadline is reporting that another two writers have joined the Transformers Cinematic Universe Writers Room as the group is now at an even dozen. The new additions are Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down) and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. The TF Writers Dozen will be meeting this coming Monday as team leader Akiva Goldsman explained.

Goldsman said the intention was to replicate the great writers rooms used in hatching TV shows. “There is such reciprocity between TV and movies now, that we’re borrowing this from TV,” Goldsman said. “I got a taste of this from JJ Abrams when I came in to write an episode of Fringe, and then Jeff Pinkner let me hang around for four years like the drunk uncle. The whole process of the story room was really delightful, and we are seeing it more in movies as this moves toward serialized storytelling. There are good rooms around town, including the Monsters Room at Universal, the Star Wars room, and of course, at Marvel. We’re trying to beg, borrow and steal from the best of them, and gathered a group of folks interested in developing and broadening this franchise. There is a central corridor of movies that has been proceeding quite well, but our challenge will be to answer, where do we go from here?”

“We’ve got a work space that is beautifully production designed to be immersive with a strong sense of the franchise history,” he said. “We will look at the toys, the TV shows, the merchandise, everything that has been generated by Hasbro, from popular to forgotten iterations, and establish a mythological time line. It has been designed with a lot of visual help, toys, robots, sketches and writers and artists. After that super saturation, the writers will figure out not one, but numerous films that will extend the universe.”

Two More Writers Join Transformers Writer's Room

Two more writers have joined the Transformers Cinematic Universe writer's room. Christina Hodson and Lindsey Beer have signed on to help create the future of the movie franchise and probably write a script for one of the movies. From what I can tell neither writer has a released movie script out there to compare against but both have several movies in the pipeline. Hodson is currently writing a remake of The Fugitive and apparently 3 of her scripts were on Hollywood's Black List. The Black List is a rather odd honor that basically points to some of the best scripts of the year that for various reasons (budget, politics, whatever) didn't get made into a movie. As for Beer, she is writing the remake of Short Circuit and The Wizard of Oz. These two will join already attached writer's room members Akiva Goldsman, Robert Kirkman, Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari, Zak Penn, and Jeff Pinkner.

Exactly what part they will play in the brain trust is not revealed. Based on Wonder Woman, Ms Marvel and few other movies Hollywood has developed this odd thinking that if a summer tent pole movie features female characters it should be written and/or directed by a female (as opposed to just choosing females because they are best fit for the project regardless of the sex of the characters it is focused on). This makes me think that a female 'bots movie might be on the agenda for the TFCU. If they maintain Bay's very loose movie continuity that means the main ones we are familiar with, Arcee & Chromia, died in Revenge of the Fallen so Windblade is a likely candidate.

Transformers One Prequel In Works?

Deadline is reporting that two more writers have joined the Transformers Writers Room and their task may be to write a prequel movie set on Cybertron. Ant-Man writers Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari have been tapped to potentially write the movie for "Transformers One" that will act as a prequel to the Transformers franchise. It might be an animated movie but to start it will be written with the goal of live action. The cost to produce will likely be the determining factor since it will be a CGI movie. There is no additional information about the story or the plans but it seems that Hasbro and Paramount is so heavily invested in the Michael Bay movie version of Transformers I doubt whatever is developed will have little to do with the "official" canon that Hasbro has developed for their video game and comic book properties.

Transformers Tap Walking Dead, Pacific Rim and Lost Writers For Brain Trust

Deadline is reporting that Akiva Goldsman has worked out who will join the Transformers Writers Room to work out the future of Transformers franchise. Akiva will head a team that is joined by Robert Kirkman (creator of The Walking Dead), Art Marcum & Matt Holloway (Iron Man), Zak Penn (Pacific Rim 2) and Jeff Pinkner (Lost, Amazing Spider-Man 2) to figure out a Transformers Cinematic Universe. The details of what they are planning remains unknown but the assumption is they will spend the next year working on story ideas that will then be handed off to either these writers or others to turn into movie scripts. I assume this includes Transformers 5 which has been pushed back a year to 2017 in hopes that Michael Bay will return to direct once he completes his current Benghazi related film.

The line up is solid as all have solid track records for creating or participating in world building which the franchise desperately needs. They also are pretty good at creating characters and adding character moments into their scripts which is an area that Transformers has suffered since the very first movie. I wish I saw at least one of the comic book writers in the room if only because they have proven to be unafraid of making the Transformers memorable as individual characters, with interesting back stories and a whole lot of excellent world building. Their origin for the war that includes the friendship of Optimus and Megatron and how it ends in open conflict that destroys worlds would provide plenty of fodder for a trilogy (and potential offshoots), especially if paired with an story set in the present. So what do you think of this writer's room?