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File:Terrocons after museum.jpg

2023-07-29T15:54:00Z

Meekerv8: {{ROTBcap|Scourge, Battletrap and Nightbird reconvene after the Museum battle.}}

{{ROTBcap|Scourge, Battletrap and Nightbird reconvene after the Museum battle.}}

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)

2023-07-28T09:36:04Z

Meekerv8: /* Filming, animation, and technical errors */ - added notes on switchback chase

{{nav-rotb}}
{{movie|
|seriess=[[Live-action film series]]
|prev=Bumblebee (film)
|next=
|title=''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''
|image=Transformers Rise of the Beasts Theatrical Poster.jpeg
|caption=So for now, let the battle be here, on this strange, primitive world. And let it be called... Beast Wars!
|production companies=[[Skydance Media]] [[Entertainment One]] [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura|di Bonaventura Pictures]] [[New Republic Pictures]] [[Michael Bay|Bay Films]]
|distributor=[[Paramount Pictures]]
|executive producer=[[Steven Spielberg]] [[Brian Goldner]] [[Brian Oliver]] [[Bradley J. Fischer]] [[Valerii An]] [[David Ellison]] [[Dana Goldberg]] [[Don Granger]]
|associate producer=[[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] [[Tom DeSanto]] [[Don Murphy]] [[Michael Bay]] [[Mark Vahradian]] [[Duncan Henderson]]
|story by=[[Joby Harold]]
|screenplay by=[[Joby Harold]] [[Darnell Metayer]] [[Josh Peters]] [[Erich Hoeber]] [[Jon Hoeber]]
|directed by=[[Steven Caple Jr.]]
|cinematography by=[[Enrique Chediak]]
|edited by=[[Stuart Levy]] [[Brett M. Reed]]
|music by=[[Jongnic Bontemps]]
|release date=[[June 9]], [[2023]]
|continuity=[[Live-action film series]]
|runtime=127 minutes <ref>https://www.ifco.ie/en/ifco/pages/C0D78E2B005A16FE</ref>
|budget=$200 million
|box office=$427 million<ref>https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt5090568/</ref>
}}
'''''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''''' is the seventh film in the [[live-action film series]], serving both as a sequel to ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' and a tribute to ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]''. The film is directed by [[Steven Caple Jr.]] and written by [[Joby Harold]], [[Darnell Metayer]], [[Josh Peters]], [[Erich Hoeber]], and [[Jon Hoeber]]. Originally expected to be released on [[June 28]], [[2019]],<ref name="toyfairreveal">[http://news.tfw2005.com/2016/02/12/transformers-5-transformers-6-bumblebee-spin-off-movie-revealed-309503 Transformers 5, Transformers 6 And Bumblebee Spin-Off Movie Revealed] ToyFair news at TFW2005</ref> the film was delayed multiple times until finally being released on [[June 9]], [[2023]].<ref name="2023release"/>

When [[Noah Díaz]], a struggling young man trying to provide for his family, is roped into a conflict between the marooned [[Autobot]]s and the recently arrived [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcons]], he must learn to work with weary Autobot leader [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] so they, with the help of the wise [[Maximal]]s and the unadventurous researcher [[Elena Wallace]], can stop the arrival of the planet-eater [[Unicron]].

==Synopsis==
[[File:ROTBcap-Unicronringedplanet.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|This is one unusual planet... whatever it is.]]

Somewhere in time and space, the dark god [[Unicron]] and his minions invade a [[Jungle Planet (colony)|jungle world]] populated by [[Maximal]]s. Unicron, seeking a way to cross galaxies, sends his [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] herald [[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]] to retrieve the [[Transwarp Key]], an advanced device that can open portals in space-time. Although the Maximals attempt to fight back, their leader [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]] entrusts [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] and a small group of Maximals—[[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]], [[Cheetor (ROTB)|Cheetor]], and [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]]—with the Transwarp Key and orders them to keep the artifact from Unicron. As Primal and his followers use the key to escape their doomed planet and flee to prehistoric [[Earth]], Scourge kills Apelinq after a brief fight and takes his [[insignia]] as a trophy.

Thousands of years later, in the year [[1994]], ex-military electronics expert [[Noah Díaz]] attempts to find a job to support his sick brother [[Kris Díaz|Kris]]. However, after another failed interview, his friend [[Reek]] convinces him to steal an expensive car from a nearby hotel. However, the "car" turns out to be the Autobot [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] in disguise, who takes the terrified Noah on a joyride through the streets of [[New York City]]. At the same time, a museum on Ellis Island comes into possession of an unusual stone falcon with a Maximal insignia. After closing hours, museum intern [[Elena Wallace]] investigates the statue and accidentally breaks it open to reveal half of the Transwarp Key. The artifact releases an energy pulse that attracts the attention of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and the other Autobots, who have been stranded on Earth since their evacuation of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] seven years prior. Prime summons the nearest Autobots—[[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], and Mirage, who arrives at the meeting spot with Noah in tow. Although Optimus distrusts humans, he believes that they can use the Transwarp Key to return home and liberate their homeworld; eventually, Mirage hatches a scheme to sneak into the museum and have Noah steal the key for them.

[[File:Scourge about to blast bee.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.66|A treacherous, underhanded sneak attack! I like you, pussycat, yes.]]

Unbeknownst to the Autobots, the accidental activation of the Transwarp Key summons the Terrorcons to Earth. Noah meets Elena inside the museum, but cannot convince her to turn over the relic before the Terrorcons attack; despite Prime's best efforts, Scourge successfully overpowers the Autobot leader, steals the Transwarp Key, and mortally injures Bumblebee before Airazor arrives to help drive the villains away. Airazor explains that the Maximals have been on Earth for millennia, and deliberately split the Transwarp Key in half to prevent Unicron or his followers from using it. The loss of Bumblebee only further galvanizes Optimus's resolve that they must reassemble the key and return home; Noah, fearful of Unicron's arrival, tells Elena that they must destroy the key to protect their own homeworld.

[[File:ROTB-Maximalstandoff.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|Moderate your conflict circuits, Maximals.]]

Elena deduces that the other half of the key is located in a hidden temple in [[Peru]], and Prime recruits the airborne Autobot [[Stratosphere]] to take them there. Near the city of [[Cusco]], the Autobot [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] guides them to the temple, located beneath a [[Convent of Santo Domingo|local monastery]]. A festival prevents the Autobots from moving through the city inconspicuously; as a result, Noah and Elena must make the journey on foot. The pair discover a hidden mechanism that leads to a hidden temple with a stone sarcophogus but find that the other half of the key is no longer inside it. The Terrorcons attack again, and although the Autobots are able to evade the villains, the conflict ends with Scourge infecting Airazor with a portion of Unicron's dark energy. On the other side of the temple, Noah and Elena encounter Optimus Primal and the other two Maximals, who, after a brief standoff that was defused by Airazor, agree to join forces with the Autobots. Optimus Primal explains that they entrusted the Transwarp Key to a tribe of humans who live near the [[energon]]-rich valley that Primal and his followers inhabit—while Optimus Prime distrusts humanity, Primal has lived among them for millennia, and has come to view them as friends and even allies.

The next morning, however, Scourge's corruption finally overtakes Airazor; in the ensuing battle, Primal is forced to kill her to save Elena. Amidst the chaos, Noah makes an attempt to destroy their half of the Transwarp Key until Optimus convinces him to stand down. However, amidst the chaos, Scourge and the Terrorcons steal the other half of the key and relocate to a nearby volcano, which they reshape into a massive portal that will summon Unicron to Earth.
Having found some common ground between their two races, Optimus Prime and Noah agree to work together; while the Autobot-Maximal alliance battle Unicron's minions, Noah and Elena attempt to sneak into the Terrorcon base and deactivate the [[Unspace|transwarp]] device with a manual shutdown code based on Elena's studies of the Maximal language. Mirage attempts to distract Scourge so that the humans can complete their mission, but the Terrorcon leader gravely injures him; with the last of his strength, Mirage reshapes his body into an [[exosuit]] for Noah. As Unicron begins pushing his way through the portal to Earth and sending down reinforcements in the form of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponok]]s, the energy pulses released by the key ignite the nearby energon deposits and restore Bumblebee to life. As Bumblebee joins the fight, Optimus Prime gains the upper hand and finally kills Scourge, but not before the Terrorcon damages the console and leaves the heroes unable to close the portal. With no other options, Prime destroys the key and triggers a devastating implosion, but Noah and Primal successfully rescue the Autobot leader from falling into the collapsing vortex.

In the aftermath, the surviving Maximals remain in Peru, while the Autobots return to America. Elena is recognized for her archeological discovery, while Noah applies for another security job—but discovers that the job opportunity is actually a front for a clandestine government organization codenamed "[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]," who promise to cover his brother's treatment going forward.

Some time later, Noah has used spare Porsche parts to cobble together a new body for Mirage, and reveals his existence to a bewildered Reek.

==Cast==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Autobot]]s / [[Maximal]]s|c1=
;Autobots
* [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] ([[Peter Cullen]])
* [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] ([[Pete Davidson]])
* [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]]
* [[Arcee (Movie)|Arcee]] ([[Liza Koshy]])
* [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] ([[Cristo Fernández]])
* [[Stratosphere]] ([[John DiMaggio]])

;Maximals
* [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]] ([[Ron Perlman]])
* [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]] ([[Michelle Yeoh]])
* [[Cheetor (ROTB)|Cheetor]] ([[Tongayi Chirisa]])
* [[Rhinox (ROTB)|Rhinox]] ([[David Sobolov]])
* [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]] (David Sobolov)

|h2=[[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]]s / [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s|c2=
;Terrorcons
* [[Scourge (ROTB)|Scourge]] ([[Peter Dinklage]])
* [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]] ([[Michaela Jaé Rodriguez]])
* [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] (David Sobolov)
* [[Sweep (ROTB)|Sweep]]s
** [[Freezer]]
** [[Novakane]]

;Predacons
* [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponok]]s

|h3=[[Human]]s|c3=
* [[Noah Díaz]] ([[Anthony Ramos]])
* [[Elena Wallace]] ([[Dominique Fishback]])
* [[Breanna Díaz]] ([[Luna Lauren Velez]])
* [[Kris Díaz]] ([[Dean Scott Vasquez]])
* [[Reek]] ([[Tobe Nwigwe]])
* [[Jillian Robinson]] ([[Sarah Stiles]])
* [[Bishop (ROTB)|Bishop]] ([[Aidan Devine]])
* [[D. Greene]] ([[Leni Parker]])
* [[Amaru]] ([[Lucas Huarancca]])
;[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]
* [[Agent Burke]] ([[Michael Kelly (actor)|Michael Kelly]])

|h4=Others|c4=
* [[Unicron]] ([[Colman Domingo]])
|nonumbering=true
}}

==Quotes==
"There’s a legend that precedes the dawn of our civilization: a vile god so large, so powerful, that it consumed entire planets as fuel. Few believed such a thing could be true, until the day we saw Unicron with our own eyes…"
:—'''Optimus Primal's''' opening narration.

"I'll hold him off, buy you some time." 
"Then I'm staying with you." 
"This is my fight. Listen, if Unicron were to get the key, he could open a portal through [[Transwarp Drive|time and space]], with no end to the worlds he could destroy. It is now your time to lead the [[Maximal]]s... Optimus Primal."
:—'''Apelinq''' passing the torch to '''Optimus Primal'''.

"So you're this planet's... ''great'' warrior. You have such a beautiful world, filled with an abundance of life. Savory."
:—'''Scourge''' waxes poetic to Apelinq.

"Okay, what are the rules?" 
"Bros before hoes." 
''[Noah glares at Kris]'' 
''(sigh)'' "Don't be a problem. Don't go looking for a problem—" 
"Or else we're gonna have a problem."
:—'''Noah''' and '''Kris''' clarify the rules.

"I ain't breaking into a museum for some space robots." 
"But what about for friendship?" 
''[Noah stares at Mirage incredulously]'' 
"Uh, uh—or or ''or'', what about for cash?"
:—'''Noah''' wants out. '''Mirage''' wants him in.

''"You can't handle the truth!"'' 
"I do not want you going to that drive-in theater anymore."
:— '''Bumblebee's''' references grate on '''Optimus Prime'''.

"Stop following me!" 
"I'm not following you, I'm just escaping in the same direction!"
:—'''Elena''' and '''Noah''' run from the pursuing Sweeps.

"And you call yourself a Prime...Primus would be ''ashamed.''"
:—'''Scourge''' isn't too impressed with Optimus Prime.

"I'm going to take back Scourge's key, and then...''take off his head.''"
:—The origins of '''Optimus Prime's''' "GIVE ME YOUR FACE" phase.

"I love your fire, Prime, but you're going to die on this speck of dust." 
"I can think of no better place to bury you!"
:—'''Scourge''' has gotten on '''Optimus Prime's''' last nerve

"I am sorry, Noah." 
"You were looking out for your own. I can't even be angry at you for that." 
"On my homeworld, we believe that the battle with darkness will continue [['Til all are one|'til all are one]]. I lost sight of that. You fought for yours as I fought for mine, when we should've been fighting the darkness together." 
"But I ain't done fighting yet."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Noah''' have a moment as Unicron approaches.

"''I have come here to kick ass!''"
:—'''Bumblebee''' announces his return with a clear message.

"Time to show you the real power of a Prime!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' lays the smackdown on Scourge. An ass kicker cometh.

"Don't, Prime. I can give you everything you want." 
"Then DIE!"
:—'''Unicron's''' temptation falls flat in '''Optimus Prime's''' face.

"I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. We have lost the Transwarp Key, and with it, our ability to go home. But we have gained an ally in our battle against the forces of evil. Forces too powerful for any of us to defeat on our own, but together, we might just have a chance."
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' closing narration. We missed them.

"I am Noah Díaz. What is there to know about me? I was raised out in Brooklyn. I got a little bro who calls me Sonic, and if I gotta help save the universe in order to help save the people I love, well then that's what I'm gonna do."
:—'''Noah''' does his own closing narration.

==Continuity notes==
''Rise of the Beasts'' is a direct sequel to 2018's ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' film, taking place seven years after its events, in 1994. The plot of the film has little impact on this one, beyond it being established that the Autobots have been stranded on Earth since arriving at its end. While waiting for Noah to infiltrate the museum, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee have a conversation that alludes to Bee's time with [[Charlie Watson]].

More notably, ''Rise of the Beasts'' serves to continue the heated debate among fans over whether or not the ''Transformers'' live-action film series has been rebooted, after reshoots to ''Bumblebee'' that served to distance it from the earlier films directed by [[Michael Bay]] introduced some significant discontinuities with Bay's films (2017's ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]'' in particular). Though fans were quick to jump on the idea that this meant the film was a total, hard reboot of the movie universe, Paramount has not committed to that idea; ''Rise of the Beasts'' was not promoted as a reboot any more than ''Bumblebee'' was, and many reviews of and articles about the film have casually referred to it as a prequel. Some web outlets would even run articles commenting on Paramount's hazy stance on the movie's (and ''Bumblebee'''s) place in continuity.<ref>[https://www.cbr.com/transformers-7-bumblebee-reboot-mistake "Rise of the Beasts Is Repeating Bumblebee's Worst Mistake" on CBR.com]</ref><ref>[https://movieweb.com/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-is-a-reboot/ "Why Does Paramount Keep Pretending Rise of the Beasts Is Not a Reboot?" on MovieWeb.com]</ref>

In-keeping with this, in the run-up to the film's release, like [[Travis Knight]] before him, director Steven Caple Jr. was reluctant to declare the film a full and total continuity reboot, stating that it is a "refresher" and a "new direction," that is nonetheless preserving many elements of the films that have gone before.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=It's a reboot for sure. The Bayverse... you can still watch the Bayverse and be on your own verse, so to speak. With us, we're definitely like, we want this to work, you know? We want people to... it's a refresher, so we can call reboot in terms of like, where we were starting. But yeah so definitely a new direction for sure. There's some things you could probably connect to it, clearly Bee is like a huge connection to all the movies, you know what I mean? In terms of his car, his design, a Camaro, and things like that, but... it's a very small one, in terms of the big ideas that we have. And so you guys will see definitely where we're going at the end of this film, which is crazy.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MfMFxvT_-Q&t=2452s|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=The Alfonso Nation|title="BAYVERSE vs REBOOT" & Wheeljacks Design | ROTB DIRECTOR STEVEN CAPLE JR Interview!|year=2023|month=05|day=27}}</ref> Longtime producer [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]] has taken a more explicit stance, repeatedly denying that the film is a reboot and stating that it is a prequel that shows how Optimus Prime grows to become the character seen in the Bay films.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Hey you know if you look at it from a timeline point of view, it follows ''Bumblebee''... but it is a prequel, in that it's before all the previous movies. So it sort of exists in its own way. What I don't think it is, is a reboot, because it's still our characters. One of the things that Steven brought to the table right from the beginning, which was so great, was the idea that when we meet Optimus Prime, he's different than what we think of him, and we're watching him grow up—if you would—as a leader. And for me that was one of the most exciting parts of the movie, and what was interesting was watching it with audiences, and at first they were uncomfortable a little bit, like, "wait, that's not exactly the Optimus... he should like humans!" You know? So I think it gives the movie a really interesting point of view, and that therefore it stands alone in that way.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h11sKGYcq9k&t=871s|name=Lorenzo di Bonaventura|site=a panel at the premiere of ''Rise of the Beasts''|year=2023|month=05|day=26}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=But what's interesting is, and you will appreciate this as a fan, at the end of ''Bumblebee'', Optimus comes to Earth. What he's experienced is failure, probably for the first time in his life, right? He's had to retreat, he's leaving the planet Cybertron. What's happened to him from that experience? When we meet him in 2007, he's a particular person, if you would. In 1994, he's not the same person. He still has growth to do between ‘94 and 2007. So the character arc for Optimus in this, and the fun for the audience is, when you first meet Optimus – and we've had this experience because we've watched it with audiences and we've heard them talk about it – they're like, “It's definitely Optimus, but there's something a little different…” At first, they're like, “Wait, what, who… what Optimus is this?” And by the end of the movie, Optimus has become the guy that you've recognized from the Bay movies. Emotional.|link=https://collider.com/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-michael-bay-movies-producer-comments/|name=Lorenzo di Bonaventura|site=Collider|title='Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Producer on How It Differs From Michael Bay's Movies|year=2023|month=05|day=24}}</ref> At the same time, di Bonaventura has also conceded that they were "kicking the can down the road" when it came to continuity concerns, preferring to worry about it in the future, and that the films "maybe have" contradicted Bay's movies despite efforts not to.<ref>[https://www.fandom.com/articles/transformers-rise-beast-wars-optimus-prime Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Shows a Different Side of Optimus Prime" on Fandom.com]</ref> These particular claims line up with statements made by Caple after the film's release, in which he stated he is "not worried" about continuity, and is just focused on making the best choices for each individual movie's story. He cites 2007's ''Transformers'' and ''Dark of the Moon'' as "his classics," and says he would "love to stay within that line," but does not feel compelled to adhere much to ''Age of Extinction'' and ''The Last Knight,'' since he views their stories as the result of creators "freestyling," and doubts that "anyone knew exactly where they were going with [them]."<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/rise-of-the-beasts-director-confirms-that-continuity-is-not-a-concern-within-the-transformers-film-franchise/47813/ Extract from an interview with Caple Jr. on the ''Empire Spoiler Specials'' podcast, via Seibertron.com]</ref> And that's... probably about as good an answer as we're going to get right now.

Whichever approach you subscribe to, it's pretty clear the decision to set the film in 1994 was one primarily made to avoid having to directly deal with the timeframe of the Bay movies in any capacity, and tell a new story free of their immediate baggage — the "can-kicking" Lorenzo spoke of. For what it's worth, the film takes some steps to preserve the broad continuity of at least the first Bay film; the Transwarp Key's energy is explicitly stated to operate on a frequency that humans cannot perceive, meaning that they literally cannot ''see'' the huge sky-beam or the portal. As such, the film ends with the general population of Earth (beyond secret forces within the US government) still entirely unaware of the Transformers' existence, as was the case when the 2007 film began. As the time-gap between these "prequels" and the first movie narrows, though, it becomes increasingly difficult to imagine them fitting together without a lot of hand-waving away of specific details, unless future movies actually start making active attempts to address this.

In terms of active contradictions to established continuity, ''Rise of the Beasts'' appears to take the same approach as ''Bumblebee'' and ignores the events of ''The Last Knight'' by depicting Unicron as a separate planet, rather than the Earth itself, as he appeared in that film. However, it's probably important to note that the film lightly implies that the Maximals are time-travellers from the future (see "Transformers references" for more details), which would mean that the Unicron who appears in this film is also from the future. Thus it ''could'' be argued that his appearance here doesn't technically contradict ''The Last Knight''—but of course, that would mean he was trying to eat his own past self.

==Transformers references==
*The Maximals are broadly depicted the same as they were in the ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' cartoon: as a "highly-advanced race" of beast-mode Transformers who use transwarp technology to travel to other planets and interact with their native species, whose travels bring them to ancient Earth. Steven Caple Jr. has noted that earlier drafts of the screenplay explicitly depicted the Maximals as time-travellers from the future, as they were in the cartoon, and while the concept is so toned down for the finished movie that it probably won't even occur to general audiences, several references to the idea are still made on-screen. Transwarp technology is stated to open portals in time as well as space; Airazor states that the Maximals are "from both [the Autobots'] past and future"; and Optimus Primal says that he is named after the "legendary" Optimus Prime, which all combine to suggest that the Maximals originate from the future.
*The idea of the Maximals hailing from a [[Jungle Planet (colony)|jungle planet]] originates in [[IDW Publishing]]'s comic books, which depicted many ''Beast Wars'' characters as the residents of the planet Eukaris. The planet is implied to be one of many colonised by Transformers in ages past using space bridges generated by the Transwarp Key, before the planets became separated and the key "lost." This concept of a great era of Cybertronian expansion that led to the foundation of lost colonies on other planets where Cybertronian life evolved in new and different directions dates back to 2005's [[Transformers: Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]], and became a recurring element in ''Transformers'' series in the 2010s and beyond after it was incorporated into the lore of the [[Aligned continuity family|Aligned continuity]].
*Unicron's armies being named the "Terrorcons" hearkens back to both 2004's ''[[Transformers: Energon (franchise)|Energon]]'' and 2010's ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Prime]]'', which both featured the power of Unicron being used to create armies of warriors known as Terrorcons. In particular, the corrupted Airazor's rusted appearance resembles the ''Prime'' Terrorcons, which were also rusted, dilapidated, shambling bots controlled by the will of another.
*Though not identified by name onscreen, Unicron's army includes multiple duplicates of a robotic scorpion identified by the movie's toyline as "Predacon Scorponok." The idea of "Scorponok" being a mass-produced "species" of robots has recently been seen in the [[Transformers: War for Cybertron Trilogy (cartoon)|''War for Cybertron'' cartoon]], where both [[Scorponok (G1)|Generation 1 Scorponok]] ''and'' [[Scorponok (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Scorponok]] were treated this way.
*The Maximals vow to keep the Transwarp Key hidden and safeguard life "no matter the cost," evoking Optimus Prime's iconic line from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'': "Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost."
*Optimus Prime's design features alterations from his earlier ''Bumblebee'' appearance that are influenced by his appearance in the first three Bay films; he has silver hands, feet, sun visors, angled chest windows, retractable orange [[Dual Energon Swords|Energon swords]], a handheld orange [[Energon-axe]] (which transforms out of his arm, coincidentally similar to the [[Optimus Prime (ES)|''Earthspark'' version]]), and a mask-less face sporting similar details. Arcee also transforms into a {{w|Ducati}} motorcycle, like her ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' character.
*Scourge combines aspects of his [[Scourge (G1)|Generation 1]], [[Scourge (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'']] and [[Scourge (Cybertron)|''Cybertron'']] namesakes; he's a herald of Unicron and has an army of [[Sweep (G1)|Sweeps]] like G1 Scourge, transforms into a black Optimus Prime-like truck like ''RID'' Scourge and hails from a colony world like ''Cybertron'' Scourge. The various insignias he wears as trophies include the symbols of the [[Decepticon]]s, [[Autobot]]s, [[Maximal]]s, [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]]s, [[Mercenary|Mercenaries]] and [[Wreckers]]. His designer Eddie Del Rio also admitted on his Instagram to pulling inspiration from ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] for his robot mode (and stealing insignias like trophies is well in character for the old bounty hunter as well).
*More obscure characters appear such as Apelinq, who originates from a [[Apelinq (BM)#Toys|BotCon 2000 toy]] and tie-in [[3H Productions]] comics, and Stratosphere, returning from the ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (toyline)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' toyline and last seen in the ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (franchise)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Xbox 360/PS3)|console video game]], albeit with a new, original design and characterization.
*When [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]] lands at the Museum following the carnage, she makes some [[Starscream (Movie)|very familiar warbling noises]] when she moves.
*The two music tracks used in Unicron's scenes feature segments taken from [[Vince DiCola]]'s "Unicron's Theme" in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''.
*Scourge stands and talks to Unicron's face from inside his body, similar to a scene with their characters from the Generation 1 episode, "[[Ghost in the Machine (G1)|Ghost in the Machine]]".
*The symbols Elena studies are Maximal [[Cybertronix]], from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon. The access code Elena assembles doesn't translate to anything, and simply reads "XQB," but the text on the side of the Transwarp Key (written in a combination of mirrored and upside-down symbols) reads: "He Who Opens The Door."
*The authors of the paper Elena reads about Peru's unexplained glyphs are Asahi Takara and Daniel H. Tomy, a reference to [[TakaraTomy]], Hasbro's longtime business partner in Transformers toys.
*After meeting Optimus Prime for the first time, Noah incorrectly calls him "Optimal". "Optimal Optimus" is the name of the original [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#OptimalOptimus|Optimus Primal's Transmetal 2 body]].
*When proposing different alternate modes to Noah, Mirage briefly turns into an F1 car, a reference to [[Mirage (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]]'s alternate mode. He also turns into a Lamborghini Countach, which was just a really cool, sexy car, but also famous in ''Transformers'' lore for being the alternate mode of [[Sideswipe (G1)|Generation 1 Sideswipe]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], and [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]]. He then claims that he can also turn into a Ferrari, the alternate mode of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' [[Dino]], whose name in media outside of that movie was "Mirage".
*Mirage is incredulous over the news that musician [[Mark Wahlberg]] is leaving his band, the Funky Bunch, and going into acting—a good-natured jab at the actor's [[Cade Yeager|leading role]] in the earlier ''Transformers'' movies, ''[[Transformers: Age of Extinction (film)|Age of Extinction]]'' and ''The Last Knight''.
*Scourge name-drops [[Primus]] as he taunts Optimus Prime, the first reference to the Transformers' creator god in any of the live-action movies.
*Scourge injures Prime's left flank in the museum battle, which mirrors the injuries [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] gave to the original [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in ''The Transformers: The Movie.'' Prime even grasps the wound in the same way his predecessor did.
*Airazor explains that Unicron imbues his heralds with a "dark energy," which increases their power, but also has a corrupting effect—almost certainly a reference to [[Dark Energon]], the life-energy of Unicron introduced in the Aligned continuity.
*Unicron psychically tortures Scourge from afar in the same way he did [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] in ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
*When Optimus Primal talks to Optimus Prime about how the Maximals trust the humans, he says there's "[[More than Meets the Eye (disambiguation)|more to them than meets the eye]]".
*Optimus states the Cybertronian belief that "the battle with darkness" will continue: "[['Til all are one]]." This phrase, and the idea of a day prophesied in Cybertron legend when it will come to pass, originates with ''The Transformers: The Movie,'' and is here used to thematically connect with the shared struggle of the Autobots, Maximals, and humans.
*When the heroes are lining up for the final battle, brown fins briefly pop out of the sides of Wheeljack's head, evoking his [[Wheeljack (G1)|Generation 1 design]].
*As the heroes charge towards the Terrorcon army, Optimus Primal commands Rhinox and Cheetor to "Maximize!", which was the Maximal [[activation code]] from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon.
*Optimus Primal briefly fights with his double bladed scimitar from his [[Optimus Primal (BW)/toys#Beast Wars|original toy]].
*In the final battle, when Unicron sends an army of Sweeps to reinforce his minions on Earth, they make their descent in the form of yellow-and-black orbs, which appears to be a nod to Unicron's [[Mini-Con]] from ''[[Transformers: Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'', the yellow-and-black sphere, [[Dead End (Armada)|Dead End]].
*The armored suit Mirage forms over Noah is conceptually an homage to the Generation 1 [[exosuit]]s, while its overall design hews closer to [[Kicker Jones]]' battlesuit from ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]''.
*In a glorious homage to [[Transformers (film)|the 2007 movie]], the musical highlight of [[Steve Jablonsky]]'s "Arrival to Earth" plays as Optimus, Noah, and Primal escape the collapsing transwarp portal's suction.
* Optimus Prime's final speech is set to a remixed version of the track "No Sacrifice, No Victory" from the 2007 movie's score, which was also reprised for the endings of ''[[Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]''.
*[[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and Transformers have frequently crossed over in comics and the occasional toyline over the years, though this marks the first time the two have co-existed in a feature film. Notably, the G.I. Joe insignia on Burke's business card is the version introduced in the film ''G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra''.

==Real-life references==
*A TV screen briefly shows news coverage of the {{w|Murder trial of O. J. Simpson#Bronco chase|O.J. Simpson white Ford Bronco car chase}}, which places the events of the film near [[June 17]], 1994.
*Throughout the film, Noah and Kris use the codenames "[[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic]]" and "{{w|Tails (Sonic the Hedgehog)|Tails}}" (and in one instance, Mirage is referred to as "{{w|Knuckles the Echidna|Knuckles}}"), a nod to the characters from the ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (video game)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' videogame series.
*Kris wears a shirt of the ''Mighty Morphin' [[Saban Entertainment|Power Rangers]]'', another property owned by Hasbro. A poster of said series also appears on his wall.
*Kris is heard playing ''Super Mario Bros.'' on his [[Game Boy]]. However, see "Anachronisms".
*Kris attempts to comfort Noah after his unsuccessful interview by relating his struggle to [[Superman|Superman's]] difficulty finding a job before being hired by the {{w|Daily Planet}}.
*When Mirage compliments Noah after the car chase, he quotes the line "I like it a lot" from ''Dumb and Dumber''. However, see "Anachronisms".
*Also in the aftermath of the chase, he refers to the 1988 movie ''{{w|Big (film)|Big}}'' during his impression of Optimus Prime.
*Noah calls Mirage {{w|E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial|E.T.}} for obvious reasons. He also makes a reference to [[Indiana Jones]] when discovering the hidden temple in Peru.
*Bumblebee drops various voice lines from famous real-life films throughout the whole movie, including ''{{w|Die Hard}}'', ''[[Spaceballs]]'', ''{{w|They Live}}'', ''{{w|A Few Good Men}}'' and ''{{w|Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface}}.''
*While fleeing in the museum, Elena sings Zhané's song "{{w|Groove Thang}}" to try to calm herself down.
*As they rendezvous with the other Autobots for the trip to Peru, Mirage announces that "[[Wu-Tang Clan|Wu-Tang]] is in the building."
*Elena sings the TLC song "{{w|Waterfalls (TLC song)|Waterfalls}}" to herself during the flight to Peru. However, see "Anachronisms".
*The {{w|Inti Raymi}} festival taking place when the Autobots arrive in Peru is a real festival that takes place on [[June 24]], further tying the film's events to that month.
*During the mountain road car chase at Peru, the shot of Scourge's insignia-covered grille reflected in Prime's rearview mirror homages a famous shot from [[Steven Spielberg]]'s 1971 film ''{{w|Duel (1971 film)|Duel}}.''
*When meeting Primal, Elena brings up the {{w|Nazca Lines}} and the archeological site at {{w|Tikal}}, asking if the Maximals were responsible for creating them. [[Order of the Witwiccans|In this case]], however, Primal takes no credit for human ingenuity.
*Mirage calls Optimus Primal "{{w|Donkey Kong (character)|Donkey Kong}}".
*At the end of the film, Elena appears on the CBS news program ''[[60 Minutes]]''; host [[Lesley Stahl]] makes a cameo appearance as herself during the segment.
*The award on the wall that serves as the hidden switch to access the G.I. Joe base reads "Real Hero Award" with the image of an American flag, referencing the subtitle of the 1980s ''G.I. Joe'' franchise: "A Real American Hero".

==Errors==
===Filming, animation, and technical errors===
*When Scourge kills Apelinq, he welds his Maximal insignia to his right shoulder, but throughout the rest of the film, Apelinq's insignia is gone. In the same scene, Scourge says "They never learn...", but his mouth is not moving.
*A recurring error sees the CGI models for Freezer and Novakane, which were supposed to have unique head injuries for each character, being switched around at random at various points in the movie. A very noticeable example of this happens when Scourge deploys a single Sweep in Peru whose model has an intact head with just a pair of scars on its forehead, but is moments later replaced by the model with a much bigger wound and a missing left antenna. Several other Sweeps of varying sizes also reuse these models during the final battle, completely taking away the intended uniqueness of each head design.
*When Reek yells down the street as Noah and Kris depart, his dialogue does not match his lips.
*When Optimus Prime is about to throw his axe at Scourge, there is some distance between the two. However, in the next shot they are within just meters of each other.
*When Scourge says "Now, to add a Prime to my collection", his claw is both folded in on his arm and deployed at the same time.
*When Mirage attempts to eavesdrop on Noah and Kris' conversation, he is barely tall enough peer into the balcony while standing on a car. However, a minute later when Kris promises him to keep Noah safe he is somehow tall enough to comfortably look into the balcony without anything to stand on.
*The doors that go onto Wheeljack's back are unmarked brown in the scene of him transforming from van mode, but feature text on them in the very next cut where he is in robot mode.
*When Wheeljack audibly gasps at Noah assuming he can speak Spanish, his mouth is not moving.
*When Mirage and Optimus Prime turn into a street in Cusco, there is another Optimus Prime truck in the background. This can only be seen if you pause at the right moment.
*As Optimus decks Scourge during the Peru chase, Scourge seems to suffer a wardrobe malfunction as a rogue wheel not located anywhere on his torso springs out of his right armpit.
*Additionally, there are times when vehicles just disappear during the Switchback chase;
**Scourge's truck conveniently takes a lot of time to round a corner Optimus has just turned, despite being only feet behind him
**Mirage is no longer visible next to Nightbird when Battletrap pulls his 180 turn stunt.
*When Wheeljack is recovering from being attacked by Rhinox, his mouth is not moving as he says "Ay-ay-ay."
*As the heroes are walking through the jungle, the scene cuts to Elena while she is saying "So, what are you?", which does not match her lips.
*As Optimus Prime looks up at Unicron arriving at the mouth of the portal, Arcee can be seen scuttling about blasting Sweeps; except her blasters produce no laser effects.
*From the time Bumblebee acquires his offroad Camaro, his wheels are inconsistent between his robot and vehicle modes, with some shots showing his normal Camaro's wheels instead of the offroad ones. It is most visible for the wheels on his shoulders.
*Scourge's mouth is not moving as he proclaims "Unicron will prevail!" before shooting the transwarp control panel.
*Elena audibly whimpering in Bumblebee as he drives through hoards of Sweeps does not match her lips.

===Continuity errors===
*The fight between Optimus and Scourge outside the museum has some very inconsistent physics:
**Scourge slams Optimus against a nearby obelisk, the impact somehow doesn't make the structure collapse although the Autobot leader is made of materials much harder than stone or bricks and having much more physical mass. Scourge then punches Prime in the face, again, against the obelisk which might suggest the structure is durable enough to hold a full blow thrown by a highly-advanced mechanical being.
**Yet Scourge breaks it with his bare hands with little effort shortly after in order to hit Optimus again.
**''Yet'' the obelisk is still heavy and hard enough to beat Prime to the ground.
**'''''Yet''''' the impact doesn't leave any visible damage to Optimus while the object itself crumbles like being made of LEGO bricks.
**[[B.O.T. (episode)|Argh.]]
*After Scourge incapacitates Bumblebee, he plucks his Autobot badge off with a normal left hand. In the following shot, however, his left hand is transformed into his giant claw and he is no longer holding the badge.
*During the chase out of Cusco, when Optimus Prime reaches the bend, the Terrorcons are very close behind him. However, when he transforms into robot mode, they are suddenly much further back.
*When Stratosphere transforms in Peru, it starts with him facing away from Optimus Prime. However, in the next shot he's now facing towards him.
*When Scourge walks away with the second half of the key, his left arm switches from the claw to the cannon between shots.

===Geographic discontinuities===
*There ''is'' a museum on Ellis Island... however, it's a [https://www.statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/national-immigration-museum/ museum that documents the turn-of-the-century immigrant experience], and not the generalized natural history museum shown in the film. Notably, the actual museum is composited out of the movie's establishing shots so that the made-up museum setpiece can replace it.
*Elena states that she has never left New York. Ellis Island, her place of work, is almost completely owned by the state of New Jersey, discounting a small portion that was the island's original size that is still a part of New York. Even discounting that, the waters surrounding the island are wholly owned by the Garden State.
*When the Autobots arrive at Cusco, they land at the citadel of [[Sacsayhuamán]], an Inca fortress on the northern outskirts of the city, and the site is deserted. Even on a normal day, it should be crawling with tourists, but the Autobots are specifically said to arrive during the [[Inti Raymi]] festival... whose central activity is a recreation of an Inca ceremony ''at'' Sacsayhuamán.
*The fight with the corrupted Airazor takes place at Machu Picchu, which nobody is witness to, as again it is completely deserted. It should be crawling with tourists, the staff that works at the site, the guests and staff of the lodge located right next to the complex, or the population of the town of Aguas Calientes at the base of the mountain.

===Anachronisms===
*Though the "you died!" music and mention of Bowser imply Kris is playing ''Super Mario Bros.'' on his Game Boy, that game wouldn't see a release on the system until 1999's ''[https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Mario_Bros._Deluxe Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]'' on the Game Boy Color. The only Mario platformers released for Game Boy by 1994 were the ''Super Mario Land'' games, which featured different antagonists and music.
*The F1-styled car Mirage turns into is based on a design chassis that would be introduced over the course of the second half of the 90s.
*Elena sings "Waterfalls" by TLC to calm herself down. Assuming the film takes place in June, as implied by the aforementioned Inti Raymi festival and coverage of the O.J. Simpson chase, it would still be a few months until the November 1994 release of the album ''CrazySexyCool'', which the song first appeared on.
*Similarly, Mirage quotes a line from ''Dumb and Dumber'', a film that would not release until December 1994.
*A green car that was smashed and thrown in the Museum scene was a B5.5 Volkswagen Passat which would not be released until 2001.
*The promo for ''60 Minutes'' uses the program's contemporary imaging, including the use of the current CBS News logotype above that of the show.

==Music==
A score album, ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Music from the Motion Picture)]]'', was released alongside the film on June 9, 2023. Paramount also compiled a Spotify Playlist, ''[[Transformers Rise of the Beats]]'', featuring songs that appeared in the film.

==Reception==
{{quote|Thanks to some genuine human drama between the set pieces and palpable affection for the title characters, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is one of the franchise's more enjoyable outings.|Critics Consensus|[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/transformers_rise_of_the_beasts Rotten Tomatoes]}}

Coming off the back of the generally well-received ''Bumblebee'', ''Rise of the Beasts'' received mixed reviews. While critics largely praised the old-school adventure film sequences and the performances of the human leads, most criticism was directed at the film's protracted final battle scene and its overuse of computer-generated imagery—in particular, some critics juxtaposed the film's tamer action scenes against the madcap, sometimes over-the-top practical effect-based destruction employed by [[Michael Bay]] during his time in the director's chair. As of writing, the film holds a 53% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, although the audience score sits at a much higher 91%.

In the US and Canada, ''Rise of the Beasts'' opened to a strong $60.5 million start—higher than both ''The Last Knight'' and ''Bumblebee'' <ref>[https://deadline.com/2023/06/box-office-transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-spider-man-spiderverse-1235412771/ "'Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts' Conquers 'Spider-Verse' With $60M+ Opening, But Animated Pic's Second Weekend Hold Strong -- Box Office"]</ref>—but suffered a brutal 66.1 percent drop in its second weekend, where it lost out to ''{{w|The Flash (film)|The Flash}}'', ''{{w|Elemental}}'', and ''{{w|Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse|Across the Spider-Verse}}''.<ref>[https://variety.com/2023/film/news/the-flash-box-office-disappoint-pixar-elemental-flop-1235647927/ "'The Flash' Disappoints With $55 Million Debut, Pixar's 'Elemental' Flops With $29.5 Million in Battle of Box Office Lightweights"]</ref><ref>[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/2023W24/?ref_=bo_we_nav Domestic 2023 Weekend 24]</ref> A week later, the film took in a comparatively dismal $11 million;<ref>[https://deadline.com/2023/06/box-office-the-flash-no-hard-feelings-jennifer-lawrence-1235422274/ 'Spider-Verse' Swinging Ahead Of 'Elemental' After Game Of Chicken; 'Flash' Edging Out 'No Hard Feelings' -- Saturday PM Box Office]</ref> as of July 2023, the film has made $420 million overall, marking the lowest-grossing film in the series thus far.

==Development details==

[[File:TRANSFORMERS-2022.jpg|thumb|250px]]

* March 27, 2015 — [[Paramount Pictures]] negotiates with [[Akiva Goldsman]], hiring him to create a "writer's room" with the intention of building a cinematic universe.<ref name="goldsman">[http://deadline.com/2015/03/transformers-akiva-goldsman-paramount-sequels-spinoffs-1201400027/ Paramount Enlisting Akiva Goldsman To Ramp Up 'Transformers' Output] on deadline.com</ref> Goldsman goes on to hire a number of writers over the next few months: [[Steven DeKnight]] (''Daredevil''),<ref>[http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/transformers-cinematic-universe/35696/transformers-cinematic-details-more-writers-over-10-films Transformers cinematic details]</ref> [[Robert Kirkman]] (''The Walking Dead''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom">[http://deadline.com/2015/05/transformers-writers-robert-kirkman-zak-penn-art-marcum-matt-holloway-jeff-pinkner-1201430601/ 'Transformers' Spinoff & Sequel Scribes Set] on Deadline.com</ref> [[Art Marcum]] and [[Matt Holloway]] (''Iron Man''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom" /> [[Christina Hodson]] (''Shut In'', ''The Fugitive''),<ref name="hodsonbeer">[http://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/446175-christina-hodson-and-lindsey-beer-join-transformers-writing-team Christina Hodson and Lindsey Beer Join the Transformers Writing Team]</ref> [[Lindsey Beer]] (''Dig''),<ref name="hodsonbeer" /> [[Zak Penn]] (''Pacific Rim 2''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom" /> [[Jeff Pinkner]] (''The Amazing Spider-Man 2'', ''Lost''),<ref name="deadlinewritersroom" /> [[Andrew Barrer]] and [[Gabriel Ferrari]] (''Ant-Man''),<ref name="barrerferrari">[http://deadline.com/2015/05/transformers-ant-man-andrew-barrer-gabriel-ferrari-cybertron-1201433402/ 'Ant-Man' Scribes Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari Join 'Transformers' Writers Room] on Deadline</ref> [[Ken Nolan]] (''Black Hawk Down''), and [[Geneva Robertson-Dworet]].<ref name="nolandworet">[http://www.slashfilm.com/transformers-writers-room/ Akiva Goldsman Teases 'Transformers' Franchise Plans]</ref> Involved in the pitching process are [[Steven Spielberg]], [[Michael Bay]], [[Brian Goldner]], [[Lorenzo di Bonaventura]], [[Mark Vahradian]], and [[Don Murphy]].<ref name="deadlinereveal">[http://deadline.com/2015/09/transformers-writers-room-akiva-goldsman-transformers-5-1201531918/ 'Transformers' Writers Room Wraps] on Deadline</ref>
* October 3, 2015 — During his keynote speech at the MIP Junior Conference, [[Allspark (company)|Allspark]]'s [[Stephen J. Davis]] notes that the writing team has come up with film concepts for Transformers 5, 6, 7, and 8.<ref name="stephendaviskeynote">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_P2fw_DlS4&t=812 Stephen Davis's keynote speech] at MIPJunior.</ref>
* February 12, 2016 — At [[Toy Fair 2016]], Hasbro reveals the projected release date of Transformers 7, along with the dates for the two preceding films.<ref name="toyfairreveal" />
* September 23, 2017 — At Licensing Europe 2017, Hasbro announces Transformers 7 will have an "entirely new, exciting storyline".<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2017/09/23/2019-transformers-movie-feature-entirely-new-storyline-349463 2019 Transformers Movie To Feature An Entirely New Storyline] on TFW2005</ref>
* February 16, 2018 — Hasbro clarifies at [[Toy Fair 2018]] that the film will be a reset of the franchise and has been delayed indefinitely until a new creative team is in place.<ref>[http://news.tfw2005.com/2018/02/16/transformers-cinematic-universe-current-movie-series-rebooted-358641 Transformers Cinematic Universe Is Over: Current Movie Series To Be Rebooted] on TFW2005</ref>
* May 24, 2018 — Paramount drops the film from their release schedule.<ref>[http://collider.com/transformers-7-cancelled/amp/ Paramount Officially Pulls the Next 'Transformers' Sequel from Their Release Date Schedule] on Collider</ref>
* March 15, 2019 — di Bonaventura states a sequel to ''[[Bumblebee (film)|Bumblebee]]'' is in development.<ref>[https://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/two-sequels-in-transformers-live-action-franchise-confirmed-in-development/43083/ Two Sequels in Transformers Live Action Franchise Confirmed in Development] on Seibertron</ref>
* March 18, 2019 — di Bonaventura claims that the next main ''Transformers'' film will be a reboot closely tied to the ''Bumblebee'' sequel, rather than a direct sequel to ''[[Transformers: The Last Knight (film)|The Last Knight]]''. Either way, Paramount will pick the best script for ''Transformers 7'' and release that first.<ref>[https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bumblebee-producer-says-next-transformers-movie-wi/1100-6465652/ Bumblebee Producer Says Next Transformers Movie Will Be A Reboot] on GameSpot</ref>
[[File:Stevencaplejr autobot cast.jpg|thumb|250px|Hey, you think ''that's'' speed? You ain't seen the Golden Rocket.]]
[[File:Stevencaplejr terrorcon cast.jpg|thumb|250px|Then we will create ''alternate forms'', based on the most powerful local creatures!]]
* January 27, 2020 — Variety reports two ''Transformers'' films are being penned, to be produced simultaneously: one written by [[James Vanderbilt]], another to be written by [[Joby Harold]].<ref>[https://variety.com/2020/film/news/transformers-franchise-revamp-bumblebee-james-vanderbilt-joby-harold-1203482496/ ‘Transformers’ Franchise Gets a Revamp With Two Separate Films in the Works] on Variety</ref> Deadline reports that Vanderbilt's script is for a spin-off film based on ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'', while Harold's script continues the story from the ''Bumblebee'' film.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2020/01/transformers-movies-paramount-1202843234/ Dual ‘Transformers’ Movies In The Works At Paramount] on Deadline</ref>
* May 2, 2020 — [[Hasbro]] CEO [[Brian Goldner]] confirms that a new Transformers live-action movie is slated to release on [[June 24]], 2022. However, only one between Harold's ''Bumblebee'' sequel and Vanderbilt's ''Beast Wars'' film will make it to production first.
* August 21, 2020 — New Republic Pictures is announced as a new co-financier for Paramount in a ten-picture deal in the wake of the success of 2019's ''Rocketman''.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2020/08/paramount-pictures-new-republic-pictures-10-picture-cofinancing-deal-top-gun-maverick-1203018250/ New Republic Pictures Signs 10-Pic Co-Fi Deal With Paramount Pictures; ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Among Films] on Deadline</ref>
* November 16, 2020 — [[Steven Caple Jr.]] is announced as the director.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2020/11/transformers-director-steven-caple-jr-1234613830/ Transformers’: ‘Creed 2’ Director Steven Caple Jr. Tapped To Direct Next Installment In Paramount And Hasbro Franchise] on Deadline</ref>
* April 1, 2021 — [[Anthony Ramos]] is in talks for a starring role.<ref>[https://collider.com/transformers-7-cast-anthony-ramos/ Exclusive: Anthony Ramos in Talks to Star in New 'Transformers' Movie] at Collider</ref>
* April 29, 2021 — [[Dominique Fishback]] is in final negotiations to star in the film.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2021/04/transformers-dominique-fishback-anthony-ramos-paramount-eone-and-hasbro-franchise-1234746855/ 'Transformers': Dominique Fishback Lands Lead Role Opposite Anthony Ramos In Next Installment For The Paramount Franchise] on Deadline</ref>
* June 13, 2021 — A casting call sheet for filming in Montreal reveals that the film is set in [[1992]].<ref>[https://www.transformersfr.com/t5190p250-parlons-des-films-transformers-a-venir#190206 Rumeur ― le "7ème Film Transformers en prise de vue réelle" se déroulerait en 1992] on transformersfr.com</ref>
* June 22, 2021 — A Paramount virtual event is held in which the movie's title, premise, and few of the characters and cast are unveiled (revealing it to be both the ''Bumblebee'' and ''Beast Wars'' films in one).<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Currently attending a Paramount virtual event about the next #Transformers film. Report to follow!|link=https://twitter.com/search?q=(from%3ABWTF_Ben)%20until%3A2021-06-23%20since%3A2021-06-22|name=Ben Yee|site=Twitter|year=2021|month=06|day=22}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|link=https://bwtf.com/news/rise-of-the-beasts-character-descriptions|name=Ben Yee|site=BWTF|title=Movie News: "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" Character Descriptions|year=2021|month=06|day=22}}</ref> The film's logo and official premise are also unveiled on official Transformers social media accounts.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The battle on Earth is no longer just between Autobots and Decepticons… Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons join Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, in theatres June 24, 2022.|link=https://twitter.com/transformers/status/1407422768602181632|name=@transformers|site=Twitter|year=2021|month=06|day=22}}</ref>
* June 28, 2021 — [[Ron Perlman]] is announced to be reprising his role as Optimus Primal from ''[[Transformers: Power of the Primes (cartoon)|Power of the Primes]]''. [[Darnell Metayer]] and [[Josh Peters]] are confirmed as writers, inspired by Joby Harold's earlier draft.<ref>{{citesocial|quote='''Ron Perlman''' has been tapped to voice Optimus Primal in '''''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''''', Collider has exclusively learned. [...] ''Rise of the Beasts'' will be led by rising stars '''Anthony Ramos''' (''In the Heights'') and '''Dominique Fishback''' (''Judas and the Black Messiah''), and '''Steven Caple Jr.''' (''Creed II'') is directing from a script by '''Darnell Metayer''' and '''Josh Peters''', who worked off an earlier draft by '''Joby Harold'''.|link=https://collider.com/ron-perlman-optimus-primal-voice-transformers-7-rise-of-the-beasts/|name=Jeff Sneider|site=Collider|title=Exclusive: 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Adds Ron Perlman as Voice of Optimus Primal|year=2021|month=06|day=28}}</ref>
* July 11, 2021 — Rapper [[Tobe Nwigwe]] announces on Instagram that he's been cast in the movie.<ref>[https://preview.houstonchronicle.com/music/houston-s-tobe-nwigwe-earns-emmy-nom-16317174 Houston’s Tobe Nwigwe earns Emmy nom, 'Transformers' role] from the Houston Chronicle</ref>
* October 6, 2021 — Caple Jr. reveals the vehicle modes for the Autobot and Terrorcon cast through his Instagram account.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The squad is out…|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CUsm_wyLory/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2021|month=10|day=06}}</ref>
* October 20, 2021 — Filming is completed.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=That’s a wrap 🎬|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CVOw5z2r9TP/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2021|month=10|day=20}}</ref>
* October 21, 2021 — Cuscopolita reports on the vehicles with the film's Peru crew, confirming the unidentified vehicles as [[Wheeljack (ROTB)|Wheeljack]] and [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]].<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.facebook.com/cuscopolitamagazine/videos/1941112319403899|name=Cuscopolita|site=Facebook|title=Exclusiva con los Transformers|year=2021|month=10|day=20}}</ref>
* October 22, 2021 — Ramos makes a guest appearance on [[Hasbro Pulse Con 2021]], confirming Cheetor, his favorite ''Beast Wars'' character, will be in the film.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=I am a ''Transformers'' fan, ''Beast Wars'' fan, Cheetor is my #1 favorite of all time, so it's dope to have Cheetor, to be in this movie with Cheetor, it's gonna be crazy.|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjtxJqrv-bI&t=6051s|name=Anthony Ramos|site=YouTube|title=Hasbro PulseCon 2021 - DAY ONE|year=2021|month=10|day=22}}</ref>
* November 10, 2021 — Paramount announces the film has been delayed to [[June 9]], [[2023]].<ref name="2023release">{{citesocial|quote=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has moved back a year and will now bow June 9, 2023. It previously was slated for June 24, 2022.|link=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/star-trek-transformers-movie-release-date-1235045937/|name=Aaron Couch|site=The Hollywood Reporter|title=‘Star Trek,’ ‘Transformers’ Movies Pushed Back at Paramount|year=2021|month=11|day=10}}</ref>
* February 15, 2022 — Paramount confirms that ''Rise of the Beasts'' will be the first entry in a trilogy of films.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be released theatrically in 2023 and is the first of three new installments. A new animated series from @Nickelodeon arrives this fall. And in 2024, the franchise expands further with a CG animated Transformers theatrical film. #ParamountPlus|link=https://twitter.com/paramountplus/status/1493706271207292928|name=Paramount+|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=02|day=15}}</ref>
* October 11, 2022 — Caple Jr. reveals through Instagram that [[Pete Davidson]] is the voice of Mirage, and [[Michelle Yeoh]] is the voice of Airazor.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Sneak peek of Pete voicing Mirage & @michelleyeoh_official blessing us as the voice of Air Razor|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjlx3PPPC_J/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=10|day=11}}</ref>
* October 21, 2022 — [[Tobe Nwigwe]] states on an Instagram post that they are doing some re-shoots for ''Rise of the Beasts'', including featuring his character in additional scenes.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The head people from ''Transformers'' said I did so good in my part they wanna add me to some more scenes. So I gotta go shoot some more stuff for ''Transformers''.|link=https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cj9PnevsVb1/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY|name=Tobe Nwigwe|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=10|day=21}}</ref>
[[File:ROTBTeaserPoster.jpg|thumb|250px|right]]
* December 1, 2022 — The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWWDskI46Js official teaser trailer] is released by Paramount Pictures in conjunction with São Paulo's CCXP convention, giving audiences a first glimpse of the film and its various characters, including Mirage, Arcee, Scourge and the Maximals. Multiple voice cast members are also announced.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2022/12/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-peter-dinklage-liza-koshy-john-dimaggio-cast-1235186104/]</ref>
* December 2, 2022 — [[Jongnic Bontemps]] is announced as the film's score composer.<ref>[http://filmmusicreporter.com/2022/12/02/jongnic-bontemps-to-compose-music-for-steven-caple-jr-s-transformers-rise-of-the-beasts/]</ref>
* December 16, 2022 — Caple Jr. shares a clip of Peter Cullen performing on his Instagram account.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=🐐|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CmPM80yPcsP/|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Instagram|year=2022|month=12|day=16}}</ref>
* December 26, 2022 — Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal make a "guest" appearance on the 2022 [[Nickelodeon]] Nickmas NFL game, showcasing both modes and their transformations.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5X0F_AvY8Q YouTube upload] of a recording for Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal on the 2022 Nickmas NFL game</ref>
* January 31, 2023 — [[Sam Smith]] reveals toy concept art for a new character from the film, [[Freezer]].<ref>https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFlXXNOly1/</ref>
* February 12, 2023 — Paramount airs a 30-second TV spot detailing Mirage's Porsche 911 vehicle mode for Super Bowl LVII in collaboration with Porsche.<ref>[https://deadline.com/2023/02/2023-super-bowl-movie-trailers-the-flash-fast-x-transformers-ant-man-expected-1235247160/ Super Bowl Movie Trailer Spots Will Include ‘The Flash’, ‘Fast X’, ‘Transformers’ & ‘Ant-Man’ — Deadline]</ref>
* April 2, 2023 — During the 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Final Four on CBS, Paramount aired a first-of-its-kind mixed reality TV spot that showed off Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal appearing on a 90s basketball court that transformed from the court the actual basketball match was being played on. A few brief clips from the first trailer were also shown.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeeIfpbUAHg]</ref>
* April 6, 2023 — Actor [[Tongayi Chirisa]] announces on Instagram that he is the voice of Cheetor.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=So there is a story to this!!! Per the usual standard .. I had to sign an NDA, so I had NO IDEA what I was reading for.. it was only when I was in the booth to do my voice over that it dawned on me that I was reading for TRANSFORMERS Like what!!!🤯🤯🤯🤯 I totally geeked out in the moment.. Man, to say this is mad exciting is an understatement... So thankful. So honored, so blessed!!!! Massive shout out and THANK YOU to @stevencaplejr for putting your boi on! Appreciate you, fam!!! @transformersmovie..🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 IT WAS ALL A DREAM!!!! Welcome, y'all. I am your transformer #CHEETOR!!!! Let's goooo!!!!!! #NdezvaMwari #Yeshua #smallbeginnings #ontherise|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqs_PQ1J_s6/|name=Tongayi Chirisa|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=04|day=06}}</ref>
* April 14, 2023 — To promote the film, Optimus Prime introduces Tobe Nwigwe's performance of "[[On My Soul]]" at {{w|Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival|Coachella}}.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Calling all Autobots. @TobeNwigwe and #OptimusPrime have rolled out to #Coachella. #Transformers #RiseOfTheBeasts|link=https://twitter.com/transformers/status/1647069845731803136|name=Transformers|site=Twitter|year=2022|month=04|day=14}}</ref>
* April 27, 2023 — The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itnqEauWQZM official trailer] is released by Paramount Pictures, revealing more of the movie and Unicron's role in the plot, as well as delivering a first, brief look at the Predacons.
* May 6, 2023 — The [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxore0Gxwpc first clip] is showcased at the 2023 MTV Movie & TV Awards, showing the Autobots' first interaction with the Maximals.
* May 12, 2023 — The website Puliwood reveals the film's Hungarian dub cast...including the voice of [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]], a character that had not yet been announced to be appearing in the film.<ref>[https://www.puliwood.hu/ismertetok/exkluziv-ilyen-szinkronhangokkal-jon-a-transformers-a-fenevadak-kora-325900.html EXKLUZÍV: ilyen szinkronhangokkal jön a Transformers: A fenevadak kora]</ref>
* May 27, 2023 — The film's world premiere is held at Marina Bay Sands in [[Singapore]].
* June 5, 2023 — David Sobolov confirms on Instagram that he is also voicing Apelinq in the film.<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CtIhCcwu4Ld/|quote=#transformers #riseofthebeasts fans… I just saw our epic premiere in Brooklyn! Tonight, I’m excited to reveal that I am the voice… of Apelinq!|name=David Sobolov|site=Twitter|year=2023|month=06|day=05}}</ref>
{{--}}

===Changes before, during, and after production===
[[File:ROTB-Rampage-concept.jpg|thumb|250px|I prefer to beat my enemies the old-fashioned way: brutally!]]
* An early cut of the film opened with a different prologue, in which a Decepticon named [[Transit (ROTB)|Transit]], dispatched from a Decepticon-controlled Cybertron to hunt down Optimus Prime, battles and is killed by Optimus, who dumps his body in the Hudson River alongside numerous other Decepticons who have tried to do the same in the past few years. The scene was dropped due to test audiences finding it too dark, but [[John DiMaggio]] remains credited as the voice of Transit even in the finished film. Most of the visual effects for the scene were completed, and it was included (sans the river-dumping part) as a bonus feature with the movie's home media release.
**The scene was replaced for the finished film with Unicron's attack on the Maximal homeworld, which in the earlier cut was recounted by Airazor with hologram visual-aids during the scene when she meets the Autobots mid-movie.
* Cheetor and Rhinox were initially intended to be introduced slightly earlier, encountering Elena and Noah in the underground cavern. In scenes interspersed with the Autobots' and Terrorcons' running battle on the hilltop road, Cheetor was to be the one who took down Freezer as he menaced the two humans, after which Noah's gauntlet would accidentally fire a shot at the Maximal, causing him and Rhinox to chase them through the cave. Cut in favor of making the Autobot/Terrorcon battle one unbroken scene, the alternate version was included as a bonus on the home media release.
* Concept art sketches show [[:File:Rampage-face.jpg|a movie version]] of [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was originally supposed to appear as a deceased corpse during the underground cavern sequence of the movie. Although scrapped for the final cut, [https://www.instagram.com/p/Cu44E6aoECC/ a full 360° CGI model] for the character was created.
* Multiple changes were made to the film's ending, which originally had a much darker tone like the scrapped opening. Originally, Mirage wasn't planned to survive the final battle, and Optimus would have been sucked into the portal after destroying the Transwarp Key and wind up floating in space before Unicron in the post-credits scene. Reactions by the audience in test screenings convinced Caple to change the ending to something a bit more hopeful, wanting to let the good guys get a solid win.<ref name=AltEnding>[https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-ending-1235512382/ ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Director Steven Caple Jr. Talks That Ending, Hailee Steinfeld and Test Screening Changes — The Hollywood Reporter]</ref> The scene of Prime and Unicron was included as an extra with the home media release.
* Two versions of the final scene were filmed: one in which Agent Burke's business card reveals him to be part of [[Sector Seven]], and the version used in the film, in which he's part of G.I. Joe. According to Caple, the Sector Seven version was filmed only as misdirection, and the G.I. Joe version was always the one he intended to use.<ref name=Joe/>
* Other deleted/extended scenes included on the home media release include: Elena's moment of panicked disbelief (prominently showcased in the movie's trailer) shortly after the museum battle; Noah speaking with his mother when he returns home after the museum battle; a moment between Elena and Airazor before Mirage and Noah join the group to depart for Peru, in which Airazor explains the Maximal insignia; and a short scene of Optimus Primal about to hand the Transwarp Key over to Optimus Prime, before they are interrupted by Airazor's rampage.
* Additional cuts not represented in the extras from throughout the film included: a scene of Bumblebee showing a polaroid of himself and [[Charlie Watson]] to Optimus Prime as they wait outside the museum, to emphasise that some humans are trustworthy; innuendos between Arcee and Wheeljack that hint at a romantic attraction between the two; some dialogue from Scourge emphasising that (not unlike Galvatron in the original animated movie) he is an unwilling servant of Unicron; a scene of Wheeljack lending his glasses to Optimus Prime to use like a telescope; and an alternate plan to destroy the Transwarp Key in the final act that involves using the deceased Airazor's spark as a bomb, only for the bomb to be lost, leaving Elena to figure out the codes.
{{--}}

==Notes==
* In a first for the franchise, the lead human actors, multiple writers, the composer, and the director are all people of color.
* This is the first movie in the series not to be worked on by [[Industrial Light & Magic]]; this time around the CG effects were done by [[Moving Picture Company]] and [[WetaFX]].
* Steven Caple Jr. was initially sceptical of working on a ''Transformers'' movie, which at that point in development was being called ''Bumblebee 2'', because he was uncertain about jumping right into another sequel after directing ''{{w|Creed II}}''—however, the incorporation of elements inspired by ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', which Caple Jr. had been a fan of, helped sway him. Upon joining the project, he pitched several revisions, drawing from his enthusiasm for ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' by adding [[Unicron]] (and the [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]]s) and Noah's exosuit, along with a prologue on the [[Maximal]]s' homeworld and a new arc for [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] centred around his initial misanthropy.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The first time that- I did ''Creed 2'', and the first time the studio ever knocked on my door, it was for ''Bumblebee 2''. And I was like, "I don't want to do- I just came out from ''Creed 2'', I don't want to do a sequel..." you know? And so a year had gone by—or maybe two, right before COVID—and they said, "we found out the story we want to tackle: we want to bring in ''Beast Wars''." I was like, "I know all about ''Beast Wars'', I'm down for ''Beast Wars''." And so they developed a script on their own, they passed it to me—2020, October 5th, I remember the date—and I jumped right in and I kind of did my own version of the pitch, I said: "I love where you guys are going, you guys want to do New York, you guys want to do the 90s, you want to do Peru, but here's what I'll do, with the characters..." So I changed up Optimus Prime, I gave him a whole pitch on how I would start him with like, not loving humans at first, and not besiding Noah right off the rip, they're gonna have friction between the two... Gave 'em a pitch for Optimus Primal, where they start off in the top of the movie, and I gave them a new Unicron- I mean a new villain, which was Unicron and the Terrorcon squad. I just felt like, as a fan, we've been tiptoeing around Unicron, and all the other films kind of like hinted towards him towards the end, and I just really want to expand the universe and I felt like he was that perfect source to do so, because he tells us there's another world out there, there's more Transformers out there, it's not just Autobots and Decepticons. And then of course the [[exosuit]], that was my idea, it was homage to the 80s cartoon, so... It was a bit of that, pitched it to 'em and they loved the heart, they love where I was going with the direction of the characters, and yeah, they kind of gave me the key to play!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxUukVwKLCc|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=Collider|title=Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Interview: Director Reveals Big Change to Film|year=2023|month=06|day=06}}</ref>
* [[Tobe Nwigwe]]'s character of [[Reek]] was based Steven Caple Jr.'s friend Tarik Jackson, who passed away before shooting began in 2021.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=The way I got the ''Transformers'' role was insane. [...] One of [Steven Caple Jr.'s] best friends was a fan of the music, and his best friend, right, like, as they was getting ready to start shooting the movie... passed. Passed, yeah. And he had Paramount Studios reach out to me to try to play a specific- the best friend role in ''Transformers''. They kind of emulated who his best friend was in real life. He told Paramount [...] "reach out to Tobe and if he send anything back that's even ''halfway'' decent... I want to use him." But because I had never done no acting ever in my life, I just had this script right here, and just read it like I was acting, and just recorded myself on the iPhone and I was like, "yo there's no way in hell..." [...] I did that, sent that in, and they liked it!|link=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfAoWTKh3R8&t=2638s|name=Tobe Nwigwe|site=Sway's Universe|year=2023|month=01|day=23}}</ref>
*The fourth-wall-breaking [[Mark Wahlberg]] namedrop was ad-libbed by [[Pete Davidson]].<ref>{{citesocial|quote=We wanted to break the fourth wall. In all fairness, Pete Davidson made that up in the booth, and we laughed so hard, we're like in tears, and we're like there's no way we could not use this. We had ad-libbed a whole bunch of stuff. One was on, "Beanie Babies was weird", and he was like, what about Marky Mark leaving the Funky Bunch? And we were just in tears. And then we showed the studio and everybody loved it and was like, "let's just break the fourth wall. Do it."|link=https://gizmodo.com/breaking-the-fourth-wall-in-transformers-rise-of-the-b-1850514340|name=Steven Caple Jr.|site=io9|title=Breaking the Fourth Wall in ''Transformers: Rise of the Beasts''|year=2023|month=06|day=09}}</ref>
* During the production of the film, Ramos had to acquire a driver's license at Caple Jr.'s behest.<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://open.spotify.com/episode/4DDi5f1SL4oESslcZLjhhG|name=Anthony Ramos|site=the Spout Podcast|year=2021}}</ref><ref>{{citesocial|quote=I had a two-week window to get an appointment at the DMV, and the DMV was initially uncooperative. Finally, after much haggling, I was able to secure an appointment. I took the test in my mother's car after a few months of practice with an instructor. Fortunately, I was able to pass.|link=https://theplaylist.net/transformers-rise-of-the-beasts-anthony-ramos-talks-representation-in-franchises-getting-his-drivers-license-for-the-film-interview-20230607/|name=Anthony Ramos|site=The Playlist|title='Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts': Anthony Ramos Talks Representation In Franchises & Getting His Driver's License For The Film [Interview]|year=2023|month=06|day=07}}</ref>
* During an interview with a fan, voice actor David Sobolov revealed that Caple Jr. would create storyboards using Transformers toys. Awesome!<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdsfclO5etE&t=1106 "ROTB UNICRON IS THRILLING!" | Interview with DAVID SOBOLOV (Rhinox + Battletrap)! - YouTube]</ref>
* According to Caple Jr., Optimus's unmasked face was modeled after Peter Cullen's.
* As a result of Transit's removal, this is the first live-action film to not feature the Decepticons in any capacity.
* To keep the secret of the ''G.I. Joe'' tease at the end of the movie, most copies of the script and the version of the scene shot for test screenings all used [[Sector Seven]] instead. Michael Kelly also didn't know the big twist with his character until he arrived on set. Caple Jr. even had only a single ''G.I. Joe'' business card printed, on the day of filming, and took it from the set himself afterwards for safekeeping!<ref name=Joe>{{citesocial|quote=There was one version of the script that mentioned the G.I. Joe reveal. All other copies, including the one in the studio's possession, described the military organization as Sector 7. "That way no one could leak the script," Caple notes. [...] Caple says they shot two versions of Kelly's scene, one where Burke's business card reads Sector 7 and one where the card reads G.I. Joe, so audiences in test screenings wouldn't know the true reveal. There was only one copy of the G.I. Joe business card, and Caple took that himself from set for safe keeping. "I was like, 'I'm taking this. I don't want this to be found on the floor,'" he says. "I actually didn't have them printed out until that day [on set]. We were very cautious of it, man. We were really trying to be as secretive as possible."|link=https://ew.com/movies/transformers-g-i-joe-crossover-plans/|name=Nick Romano|site=Entertainment Weekly|title=Inside the top-secret plans for Transformers and G.I. Joe|year=2023|month=06|day=12}}</ref>
*This is the first live-action Transformers movie where the Japanese dub wasn't sound directed by [[Keiichirō Miyoshi]] but instead it is directed by [[Yoshikazu Iwanami]] who had been responsible for the original Beast Wars cartoons dubs localization.

===Foreign names===
* ''Japanese:'' '''''Transformers/Beast Kakusei''''' (トランスフォーマー/ビースト覚醒 ''Toransufōmā Bīsuto Kakusei'', "Transformers: Beast Awakening")
* ''Cantonese:'' '''''Bin3jing4 Gam1gong1: Kwong4sau3 Gwat6hei2''''' (變形金剛：狂獸崛起, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts")
* ''French:'' '''''Transformers : Le Réveil des Bêtes''''' (Canada, "Transformers: The Awakening of the Beasts")
* ''German:'' '''''Transformers: Aufstieg der Bestien''''' ("Transformers: Rise of the Beasts")
* ''Hungarian:'' '''''Transformers: A fenevadak kora''''' ("Transformers: The Age of the Beasts")
* ''Italian: '' '''''Transformers: Il Risveglio''''' ("Transformers: The Awakening")
* ''Mandarin:'' '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Wàn Shòu Juéqǐ''''' (Taiwan, 變形金剛：萬獸崛起, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts"), '''''Biànxíng Jīngāng: Chāonéng Yǒngshì Juéqǐ''''' (China, 变形金刚：超能勇士崛起, "Transformers: Rise of the Beast Wars")
* ''Portuguese:'' '''''Transformers: O Despertar das Feras''''' (Brazil, "Transformers: The Awakening of the Beasts")
* ''Spanish:'' '''''Transformers: El Despertar de las Bestias''''' ("Transformers: The Awakening of the Beasts")
* ''Russian:'' '''''Transformery: Voskhozhdeniye Zverobotov''''' (Трансформеры: Восхождение Звероботов, "Transformers: Rise of the Beastbots")
* ''Ukrainian:'' '''''Transformery: Chas Zvirobotiv''''' (Трансформери: Час Звіроботів, "Transformers: Time of the Beastbots")

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Real world films]]
[[Category:Rise of the Beasts| ]]
[[Category:Rise of the Beasts media]]

User:Meekerv8

2023-07-15T11:47:06Z

Meekerv8:

Hey. I do transformers drawings every now and then on [https://www.deviantart.com/meekerv8/ deviantArt] and [https://twitter.com/rancid_products Twitter]

I make tiny incidental edits every now and then.

ROTB Scourge is tha coolest guy around.

Scourge (ROTB)

2023-07-15T11:21:18Z

Meekerv8: /* Rise of the Beasts film */ - updated bee image + captions

{{disambig3|Scourge}}
{{factions|terrorcon}}
:''Scourge is a [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] from the [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]] portion of the [[Movie continuity family]].''

[[File:Scourge Render.jpg|Right|thumb|400px|I'm here to see MF DOOM.]]

'''Scourge''' is the most fearsome hunter in the universe and the ruthless leader of the Terrorcons. Scourge commands his Terrorcons to pillage and leave chaos in their wake, to continue their mission to conquer thousands of worlds under [[Unicron]]'s command. He is a ferocious but patient killer who makes sure that all who oppose him or his master will die, and his body is covered with insignias claimed as grisly trophies of his many kills. However, make no mistake, Scourge is Unicron's servant, and any failure on his part is immediately punished with extreme pain. It is a testament to Scourge's skill that he rarely fails.

As part of his servitude to the dark god, Scourge has been imbued with a dark energy that gives him power beyond the measure of most ordinary Transformers, making him all but invulnerable. In the event any would-be victim attempts to escape his grasp, he is capable of infecting them, slowly and painfully corrupting them into a puppet for his will. On occasions when he is unable or unwilling to reach his targets, he is able to deploy a pair of fearsome [[Freezer]]s from within his body to sniff out his prey for him.

{{bigquote|I enjoy that look of confusion when [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|an inferior being]] meets a higher power.|Scourge|''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]''}}

==Fiction==
===''Rise of the Beasts'' film===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Dinklage]] (English), [[Nobuo Tobita]] (Japanese)|[[Idzi Dutkiewicz Sánchez]] (Latin American-Spanish), [[Jérémie Covillault]] (European French), [[Thiéry Dubé]] (Canadian French), [[Gianluca Iacono]] (Italian), [[Wellington Lima]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Claus-Peter Damitz]] (German)}}

[[File:Beautiful world.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|ki-ki-ki ma-ma-ma-monkey]]
Scourge hailed from a [[Cybertronian colonies|world]] that was destroyed by [[Unicron]], perhaps in a time beyond the modern era, leaving him as the only survivor. He sold his [[spark|soul]] to the monster planet and became his most terrifying hunter, becoming known throughout the universe. Throughout his time under the sway of the chaos bringer, he'd often travel to various other regions in space and fought countless transformers of different factions, taking their [[insignia]]s as trophies and placing them all over his body.

[[File:Scourge about to blast bee.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|When this ends, I’ll have a cheetah skin hanging on my wall. I don’t care ''whose.'']]
As Unicron approached the homeworld of the [[Maximal]]s, Scourge, accompanied by several [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponoks]], was sent ahead to retrieve their [[Transwarp Key]], so his master might feed on planets across space and time. He confronted the Maximal leader [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]], taunting that their planet would make a savory meal for Unicron, yet the dark god would spare their home if they surrendered the Key. When the noble Maximal refused, Scourge welcomed the fight, easily besting him and tearing away his insignia to add to his collection. But Apelinq's sacrifice had bought enough time for the other Maximals to escape with the key, foiling Scourge's mission. He was then ordered by his master to scour the universe until the Key was found.

In the year [[1994]], Scourge was drawn to [[Earth]] by the recently activated Transwarp Key, landing in the [[East River]] in [[New York City]] with his loyal [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] accomplices [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]]. As they emerged from the water, he promptly ordered Nightbird to search the island, confirming the Transwarp Key's signature emanated from a museum on Ellis Island. After instructing his drone-like [[Freezer]] drones to sniff out [[Elena Wallace|two]] [[Noah Diaz|humans]] who were in possession of the Key, Scourge would engage with [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobot forces alongside Battletrap and Nightbird. Despite the Autobots' valiant efforts, Scourge managed to outperform Optimus in combat. Scourge killed [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] when he tried to intervene in the battle, but before he could finish Prime, the Maximal [[Airazor (ROTB)|Airazor]] arrived and the Terrorcons departed, having got what they came for.

[[File:ROTB-Scourgealtmode.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|So cool you only see it once]]
Scourge reported back to Unicron with the retrieved key, only to discover that the Terrorcons only had half of the actual key; split by the Maximals as a last resort against Unicron's servants. Unicron mentally tortured the Terrorcon leader as punishment, demanding that his followers return with the completed key.

Eventually, the Terrorcons arrived in [[Peru]] to track down the Autobots and their human allies, with Scourge deploying two Freezers to capture the humans. The Terrorcons chased the Autobots on the Peruvian highway, culminating in Scourge tackling Prime down the mountain. Before the Autobots escaped Scourge's advances, he infected Airazor with Unicron's foul energy, which eventually corrupted and brainwashed her into Scourge's minion. Following Noah's reluctant attempt to destroy the other half of the Transwarp Key, Scourge stole it and ordered Airazor to kill her former comrades, forcing her leader, [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]], to kill her. Relocating with his minions to a nearby volcano, he used the complete key's power to create the Transwarp tower capable of allowing Unicron to access Earth.

[[File:ROTB Scourge unmasked.jpg|200px|thumb|right|''I once had strings, but now I'm free... There are no strings on me...'']]

The Autobots and Maximals soon staged an assault and he ordered his cohorts to defend the tower. After summoning a giant army of Freezer troops, Scourge stood his guard at the tower's control panel. He was attacked by [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] alone to keep his attention away from Noah and Elena's efforts to deactivate the beam, but despite his mask being kicked from his face, he was able to defeat the two, near-killing Mirage and leaving Noah for dead under his comatose body. He then dispatched a Freezer to eliminate Elena and inadvertently contributed to Nightbird's death in his attempts to fire on the revived Bumblebee. Noah restarted the fight minutes later, now wearing an [[Exosuit|exo-suit]] courtesy of Mirage, and was joined by Optimus Prime. Scourge fought on fiercely but would eventually be overpowered by the combined forces of Noah and Prime after suffering a stab to the back of the leg from the human. Beginning to lose the fight, he begged Unicron for reinforcements before spitefully destroying the control panel to ensure his master's victory. A furious Prime then forced him into an open lava flow, cleaved off both his arms and finally decapitated him.

As his body sunk into the lava, Prime forcefully removed Bumblebee's stolen Autobot insignia from his frame. Scourge's efforts failed as the key and tower were destroyed, with his remains pulled into the collapsing portal.{{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts}}
{{note|Scourge's involvement in the preceding events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the books "[[Mission at the Museum]]" and "[[The Search Is On]]".}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Studio Series''===
[[File:StudioSeriestoy-ScourgeLeader.jpg|thumb|300px|Never skip neck day. Well, skip it a little.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Leader Class, [[2023]])
**''Movie'': '''''Rise of the Beasts'''''
**''Hasbro ID number'': '''101'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''SS-109'''
**''Accessories'': Cannon, left arm
{{toydesigner|[[Sam Smith]] and [[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Design notes on ''Studio Series'' Scourge] from Hasbro designer [[Sam Smith]] on Instagram</ref>

:Released as part of the eleventh wave of ''[[Studio Series]]'' Leader Class figures, Scourge transforms into a frightening truck in 31 steps. Scourge is compatible with the [[Freezer|Core Class Freezer]] figure as a blaster for his hand and in his truck bed. His left arm can detach at the elbow so it can be replaced by his gun attachment.

:Like the majority of ''Studio Series'' figures from ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Scourge is based on early concept art, evident by his neck, shoulders, mouth, and the inaccurate chest section/truck grill.

:The hexagonal hinges required for transformation, added with the fact that Scourge's truck cab is entirely clear plastic, can cause the plastic to crack. As there are no known fixes at this time (if any even exist), exercise caution when transforming the figure.

:Hasbro revealed the figure on [[January 30]], 2023.
::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Designer commentary on Scourge from Sam Smith on Instagram]''

===''Buzzworthy Bumblebee''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Smash-Changers-Scourge.jpg|thumb|300px|Fan theory fuel.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Smash Changers, 2023)
**''TakaraTomy name'': '''Papapatto Change Scourge '''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BPC-EX'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': April 15, 2023

:''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' Smash Changers Scourge is a retool of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SmashChangers|Smash Changers Optimus Prime]], changing from a cab-over Mad Max-esque truck to robot in three kinetic auto-transforming steps. Manually converting the toy back into truck mode takes eleven steps. He features limited articulation on the elbows.

:In Japan, this toy was released as a Toys"R"Us Japan Exclusive.
{{--}}

===''Rise of the Beasts''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Alliance-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Green is the new black.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Battle Changers, 2023)
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

:Released as part of the "Beast Alliance" subline for ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (toyline)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Battle Changers Scourge is a simplified 5 inch toy that converts from robot to truck in 7 steps.

{{-}}{{anchor|BeastCombiner}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Combiner-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|]]
*'''Scourge & Predacon Scorponok''' (Beast Combiners, 2023)
**''TakaraTomy name'': '''Kakusei Change Armor Set Scourge & Scorponok'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BCAS-04'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': July 15, 2023
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Released in the second wave of "Beast Combiners", Scourge converts from robot to post-apocalyptic truck mode in 7 steps, and is packaged with [[Scorponok (ROTB)#Beast Alliance|Scorponok]], who combines with Scourge to form his armor in 6 steps. Scorponok's tail section detaches to form a weapon for Scourge to wield. Scourge is also compatible with any other Beast Combiners beast-partner.

{{-}}{{anchor|TitanChanger}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Titan-Changer-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|More fuel for the fire.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Titan Changer, 2022)

: ''Titan Changer'' Scourge is an extensive retool of ''The Last Knight'' Titan Changer [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Titan Changers|Optimus Prime]], turning from a robot to a truck in 4 steps.
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Figural Bag Clip===
*'''Scourge (Exclusive A)''' (2023)
:Released by Monogram, this 2.5" 3D foam bag clip takes the form of a chibi ''Rise of the Beasts'' Scourge.

:It was available only as part of a [[Blindpacking|mystery blind bag]] collection as one of two chase items.
{{-}}

===''Pop!''===
*'''Scourge''' (2023)
**''ID number:'' '''1377'''

:Released as part of a ''Rise of the Beasts''-themed batch of the ''Pop! Movies'' segment, [[Funko Pop!|Funko]]'s ''Pop!'' Scourge is a super deformed vinyl figure molded in an "intimidating" pose.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Stevencaplejr terrorcon cast.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Wednesday Addams called dibs when she’s ready for her first car.]]
*Scourge's alt-mode was first revealed via [[Steven Caple Jr.]]'s Instagram account on [[October 6|6 October]] [[2021]], along with the other two senior Terrorcons, [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]].
*Scourge's design as a large evil semi-truck evokes the [[Scourge (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' holder of the name]]. It's also worth noting that [[Megatron (Movie)|this series's Megatron]] also adopted a similarly ''Mad Max''-esque truck form during the events of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.
*Scourge's grill is decorated with insignia "trophies" taken from his slain enemies, which transform into his arms and shoulders in robot mode. Looking closely, one can identify [[Autobot]], [[Decepticon]], [[Maximal]], [[Mercenary]], [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]], [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]], and [[Wreckers|Wrecker]] (specifically the two-hammer symbol used in the [[:File:Wreckeridw.png|''2019 IDW'' design]]) insignias. This may be a reference to the 1971 film ''Duel'' (directed by [[Steven Spielberg]]), which featured a [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067023/mediaviewer/rm1887906560?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_18 similar evil truck with "trophies" along the grill] in the form of license plates (and ''Duel'' has been [[Nemesis Prime (episode)|referenced in Transformers before]]).
**At minimum, Scourge has 22 insignias from the various factions listed above on his truck grille. In robot mode however, he appears to have (approximately) 26 spread across his shoulders, biceps & forearms, including an [[Elite Guard|Autobot Elite Guard]] insignia.
*Before the Terrorcon insignia was finalized, early concept art of Scourge used the [[Mercenary]]<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CuFi11Hy14X/?img_index=3|name=Eddie Del Rio|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=06|day=29}}</ref> and Decepticon insignia as placeholders for his mask.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Also, to clear up any confusion as to why he has a Decepticon mask instead of the Terrorcon one that was in the movie. It was a temp placement. I was waiting on the Terrorcon logo to be designed while I was working on him. He was never supposed to be Tarn.|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CuaR213yn3I/?img_index=1|name=Eddie Del Rio|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=07|day=07}}</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Scourge''' (スカージ ''Sukāji'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Wēnyì''' (瘟疫, "Plague")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Rise of the Beasts Terrorcons]]
[[Category:Studio Series Terrorcons]]

Scourge (ROTB)

2023-07-13T14:16:54Z

Meekerv8: /* Rise of the Beasts film */ - Added new image for Scourge & mildly tweaked appearance of article. Feel free to revert if necessary + apologies if this has messed stuff up.

{{disambig3|Scourge}}
{{factions|terrorcon}}
:''Scourge is a [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] from the [[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]] portion of the [[Movie continuity family]].''

[[File:Scourge Render.jpg|Right|thumb|400px|I'm here to see MF DOOM.]]

'''Scourge''' is the most fearsome hunter in the universe and the ruthless leader of the Terrorcons. Scourge commands his Terrorcons to pillage and leave chaos in their wake, to continue their mission to conquer thousands of worlds under [[Unicron]]'s command. He is a ferocious but patient killer who makes sure that all who oppose him or his master will die, and his body is covered with insignias claimed as grisly trophies of his many kills. However, make no mistake, Scourge is Unicron's servant, and any failure on his part is immediately punished with extreme pain. It is a testament to Scourge's skill that he rarely fails.

As part of his servitude to the dark god, Scourge has been imbued with a dark energy that gives him power beyond the measure of most ordinary Transformers, making him all but invulnerable. In the event any would-be victim attempts to escape his grasp, he is capable of infecting them, slowly and painfully corrupting them into a puppet for his will. On occasions when he is unable or unwilling to reach his targets, he is able to deploy a pair of fearsome [[Freezer]]s from within his body to sniff out his prey for him.

{{bigquote|I enjoy that look of confusion when [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|an inferior being]] meets a higher power.|Scourge|''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]''}}

==Fiction==
===''Rise of the Beasts'' film===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Dinklage]] (English), [[Nobuo Tobita]] (Japanese)|[[Idzi Dutkiewicz Sánchez]] (Latin American-Spanish), [[Jérémie Covillault]] (European French), [[Thiéry Dubé]] (Canadian French), [[Gianluca Iacono]] (Italian), [[Wellington Lima]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Claus-Peter Damitz]] (German)}}

[[File:ROTB-ScourgeBumblebee.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.66|When this ends, I’ll have a cheetah skin hanging on my wall. I don’t care ''whose.'']]

Scourge hailed from a [[Cybertronian colonies|world]] that was destroyed by [[Unicron]], perhaps in a time beyond the modern era, leaving him as the only survivor. He sold his [[spark|soul]] to the monster planet and became his most terrifying hunter, becoming known throughout the universe. Throughout his time under the sway of the chaos bringer, he'd often travel to various other regions in space and fought countless transformers of different factions, taking their [[insignia]]s as trophies and placing them all over his body.

[[File:Beautiful world.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.66|ki-ki-ki ma-ma-ma-monkey]]
As Unicron approached the homeworld of the [[Maximal]]s, Scourge, accompanied by several [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Scorponok (ROTB)|Scorponoks]], was sent ahead to retrieve their [[Transwarp Key]], so his master might feed on planets across space and time. He confronted the Maximal leader [[Apelinq (ROTB)|Apelinq]], taunting that their planet would make a savory meal for Unicron, yet the dark god would spare their home if they surrendered the Key. When the noble Maximal refused, Scourge welcomed the fight, easily besting him and tearing away his insignia to add to his collection. But Apelinq's sacrifice had bought enough time for the other Maximals to escape with the key, foiling Scourge's mission. He was then ordered by his master to scour the universe until the Key was found.

In the year [[1994]], Scourge was drawn to [[Earth]] by the recently activated Transwarp Key, landing in the Hudson River in [[New York City]] with his loyal [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]] accomplices [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]]. As they emerged from the water, he promptly ordered Nightbird to search the island, confirming the Transwarp Key's signature emanated from a museum on Ellis Island. After instructing his drone-like [[Freezer]] drones to sniff out [[Elena Wallace|two]] [[Noah Diaz|humans]] who were in possession of the Key, Scourge would engage with [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobot forces alongside Battletrap and Nightbird. Despite the Autobots' valiant efforts, Scourge managed to outperform Optimus in combat. Scourge killed [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] when he tried to intervene in the battle, but before he could finish Prime, the Maximal Airazor arrived and the Terrorcons departed, having got what they came for.

[[File:ROTB-ScourgeCommunicatesUnicron.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.66|I've come to enlighten you to the Great Darkness!]]
Scourge reported back to Unicron with the retrieved key, only to discover that the Terrorcons only had half of the actual key; split by the Maximals as a last resort against Unicron's servants. Unicron mentally tortured the Terrorcon leader as punishment, demanding that his followers return with the completed key.

Eventually, the Terrorcons arrived in [[Peru]] to track down the Autobots and their human allies, with Scourge deploying two Freezers to capture the humans. The Terrorcons chased the Autobots on the Peruvian highway, culminating in Scourge tackling Prime down the mountain. Before the Autobots escaped Scourge's advances, he infected Airazor with Unicron's foul energy, which eventually corrupted and brainwashed her into Scourge's minion. Following Noah's reluctant attempt to destroy the other half of the Transwarp Key, Scourge stole it and ordered Airazor to kill her former comrades, forcing her leader, [[Optimus Primal (ROTB)|Optimus Primal]], to kill her. Relocating with his minions to a nearby volcano, he used the complete key's power to create the Transwarp tower capable of allowing Unicron to access Earth.
[[File:ROTB Scourge unmasked.jpg|200px|thumb|right|]]
The Autobots and Maximals soon staged an assault and he ordered his cohorts to defend the tower. After summoning a giant army of Freezer troops, Scourge stood his guard at the tower's control panel. He was attacked by [[Mirage (Movie)|Mirage]] alone to keep his attention away from Noah and Elena's efforts to deactivate the beam, but despite his mask being kicked from his face, he was able to defeat the two, near-killing Mirage and leaving Noah for dead under his comatose body. He then dispatched a Freezer to eliminate Elena and inadvertently contributed to Nightbird's death in his attempts to fire on the revived Bumblebee. Noah restarted the fight minutes later, now wearing an [[Exosuit|exo-suit]] courtesy of Mirage, and was joined by Optimus Prime. Scourge fought on fiercely but would eventually be overpowered by the combined forces of Noah and Prime after suffering a stab to the back of the leg from the human. Beginning to lose the fight, he begged Unicron for reinforcements before spitefully destroying the control panel to ensure his master's victory. A furious Prime then forced him into an open lava flow, cleaved off both his arms and finally decapitated him.

As his body sunk into the lava, Prime forcefully removed Bumblebee's stolen Autobot insignia from his frame. Scourge's efforts failed as the key and tower were destroyed, with his remains pulled into the collapsing portal.{{storylink|Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts}}
{{note|Scourge's involvement in the preceding events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the books "[[Mission at the Museum]]" and "[[The Search Is On]]".}}
{{--}}

==Toys==
===''Studio Series''===
[[File:StudioSeriestoy-ScourgeLeader.jpg|thumb|300px|Never skip neck day. Well, skip it a little.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Leader Class, [[2023]])
**''Movie'': '''''Rise of the Beasts'''''
**''Hasbro ID number'': '''101'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''SS-109'''
**''Accessories'': Cannon, left arm
{{toydesigner|[[Sam Smith]] and [[Evan Brooks]] (Hasbro), [[Takashi Kunihiro]] (TakaraTomy)}}<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Design notes on ''Studio Series'' Scourge] from Hasbro designer [[Sam Smith]] on Instagram</ref>

:Released as part of the eleventh wave of ''[[Studio Series]]'' Leader Class figures, Scourge transforms into a frightening truck in 31 steps. Scourge is compatible with the [[Freezer|Core Class Freezer]] figure as a blaster for his hand and in his truck bed. His left arm can detach at the elbow so it can be replaced by his gun attachment.

:Like the majority of ''Studio Series'' figures from ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (film)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Scourge is based on early concept art, evident by his neck, shoulders, mouth, and the inaccurate chest section/truck grill.

:The hexagonal hinges required for transformation, added with the fact that Scourge's truck cab is entirely clear plastic, can cause the plastic to crack. As there are no known fixes at this time (if any even exist), exercise caution when transforming the figure.

:Hasbro revealed the figure on [[January 30]], 2023.
::*''[https://www.instagram.com/p/CoFmIPhOUO2/ Designer commentary on Scourge from Sam Smith on Instagram]''

===''Buzzworthy Bumblebee''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Smash-Changers-Scourge.jpg|thumb|300px|Fan theory fuel.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Smash Changers, 2023)
**''TakaraTomy name'': '''Papapatto Change Scourge '''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BPC-EX'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': April 15, 2023

:''[[Buzzworthy Bumblebee]]'' Smash Changers Scourge is a retool of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#SmashChangers|Smash Changers Optimus Prime]], changing from a cab-over Mad Max-esque truck to robot in three kinetic auto-transforming steps. Manually converting the toy back into truck mode takes eleven steps. He features limited articulation on the elbows.

:In Japan, this toy was released as a Toys"R"Us Japan Exclusive.
{{--}}

===''Rise of the Beasts''===
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Alliance-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Green is the new black.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Battle Changers, 2023)
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

:Released as part of the "Beast Alliance" subline for ''[[Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (toyline)|Rise of the Beasts]]'', Battle Changers Scourge is a simplified 5 inch toy that converts from robot to truck in 7 steps.
{{comingsoontoy}}

{{-}}{{anchor|BeastCombiner}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Beast-Combiner-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|]]
*'''Scourge & Predacon Scorponok''' (Beast Combiners, 2023)
**''TakaraTomy name'': '''Kakusei Change Armor Set Scourge & Scorponok'''
**''TakaraTomy ID number'': '''BCAS-04'''
**''TakaraTomy release date'': July 15, 2023
{{toydesigner|[[Koki Yamada]] (TakaraTomy)}}

: Released in the second wave of "Beast Combiners", Scourge converts from robot to post-apocalyptic truck mode in 7 steps, and is packaged with [[Scorponok (ROTB)#Beast Alliance|Scorponok]], who combines with Scourge to form his armor in 6 steps. Scorponok's tail section detaches to form a weapon for Scourge to wield. Scourge is also compatible with any other Beast Combiners beast-partner.

{{-}}{{anchor|TitanChanger}}
[[File:TF-ROTB-Titan-Changer-Scourge.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|More fuel for the fire.]]
*'''Scourge''' (Titan Changer, 2022)

: ''Titan Changer'' Scourge is an extensive retool of ''The Last Knight'' Titan Changer [[Optimus Prime (Movie)/toys#Titan Changers|Optimus Prime]], turning from a robot to a truck in 4 steps.
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
===Figural Bag Clip===
*'''Scourge (Exclusive A)''' (2023)
:Released by Monogram, this 2.5" 3D foam bag clip takes the form of a chibi ''Rise of the Beasts'' Scourge.

:It was available only as part of a [[Blindpacking|mystery blind bag]] collection as one of two chase items.
{{-}}

===''Pop!''===
*'''Scourge''' (2023)
**''ID number:'' '''1377'''

:Released as part of a ''Rise of the Beasts''-themed batch of the ''Pop! Movies'' segment, [[Funko Pop!|Funko]]'s ''Pop!'' Scourge is a super deformed vinyl figure molded in an "intimidating" pose.
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[File:Stevencaplejr terrorcon cast.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Wednesday Addams called dibs when she’s ready for her first car.]]
*Scourge's alt-mode was first revealed via [[Steven Caple Jr.]]'s Instagram account on [[October 6|6 October]] [[2021]], along with the other two senior Terrorcons, [[Battletrap (ROTB)|Battletrap]] and [[Nightbird (ROTB)|Nightbird]].
*Scourge's design as a large evil semi-truck evokes the [[Scourge (RID)|''Robots in Disguise'' holder of the name]]. It's also worth noting that [[Megatron (Movie)|this series's Megatron]] also adopted a similarly ''Mad Max''-esque truck form during the events of ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]''.
*Scourge's grill is decorated with insignia "trophies" taken from his slain enemies, which transform into his arms and shoulders in robot mode. Looking closely, one can identify [[Autobot]], [[Decepticon]], [[Maximal]], [[Mercenary]], [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]], [[Terrorcon (ROTB)|Terrorcon]], and [[Wreckers|Wrecker]] (specifically the two-hammer symbol used in the [[:File:Wreckeridw.png|''2019 IDW'' design]]) insignias. This may be a reference to the 1971 film ''Duel'' (directed by [[Steven Spielberg]]), which featured a [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067023/mediaviewer/rm1887906560?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_18 similar evil truck with "trophies" along the grill] in the form of license plates (and ''Duel'' has been [[Nemesis Prime (episode)|referenced in Transformers before]]).
**At minimum, Scourge has 22 insignias from the various factions listed above on his truck grille. In robot mode however, he appears to have (approximately) 26 spread across his shoulders, biceps & forearms, including an [[Elite Guard|Autobot Elite Guard]] insignia.
*Before the Terrorcon insignia was finalized, early concept art of Scourge used the [[Mercenary]]<ref>{{citesocial|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CuFi11Hy14X/?img_index=3|name=Eddie Del Rio|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=06|day=29}}</ref> and Decepticon insignia as placeholders for his mask.<ref>{{citesocial|quote=Also, to clear up any confusion as to why he has a Decepticon mask instead of the Terrorcon one that was in the movie. It was a temp placement. I was waiting on the Terrorcon logo to be designed while I was working on him. He was never supposed to be Tarn.|link=https://www.instagram.com/p/CuaR213yn3I/?img_index=1|name=Eddie Del Rio|site=Instagram|year=2023|month=07|day=07}}</ref>

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Scourge''' (スカージ ''Sukāji'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Wēnyì''' (瘟疫, "Plague")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Rise of the Beasts Terrorcons]]
[[Category:Studio Series Terrorcons]]

File:Beautiful world.jpg

2023-07-13T14:10:32Z

Meekerv8:

A screencap of [[Scourge (ROTB) | Scourge]] on the Maximal Homeworld in ROTB.
{{ROTBcap}}

File:Beautiful world.jpg

2023-07-13T14:09:30Z

Meekerv8:

A screencap of Scourge on the Maximal Homeworld in ROTB.
{{ROTBcap}}

File:Beautiful world.jpg

2023-07-13T14:09:03Z

Meekerv8: {{ROTBcap}} A screencap of Scourge on the Maximal Homeworld in ROTB.

{{ROTBcap}}
A screencap of Scourge on the Maximal Homeworld in ROTB.

File:Mirage museum.jpg

2023-07-13T14:06:35Z