October 3, 2015 — During his keynote speech at the MIP Junior Conference, Allspark's Stephen J. Davis notes that the writing team has come up with film concepts for Transformers 5, 6, 7, and 8.[11]
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.[1]
September 23, 2017 — At Licensing Europe 2017, Hasbro announces Transformers 7 will have an "entirely new, exciting storyline".[12]
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.[13]
May 24, 2018 — Paramount drops the film from their release schedule.[14]
March 15, 2019 — di Bonaventura states a sequel to Bumblebee is in development.[15]
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 The Last Knight. Either way, Paramount will pick the best script for Transformers 7 and release that first.[16]
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.[17] Deadline reports that Vanderbilt's script is for a spin-off film based on Beast Wars, while Harold's script continues the story from the Bumblebee film.[18]
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.[19]
June 13, 2021 — A casting call sheet for filming in Montreal reveals that the film is set in 1992.[23]
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).[24][25] The film's logo and official premise are also unveiled on official Transformers social media accounts.[26]
October 21, 2021 — Cuscopolita reports on the vehicles with the film's Peru crew, confirming the unidentified vehicles as Wheeljack and Battletrap.[31]
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.[32]
November 10, 2021 — Paramount announces the film has been delayed to June 9, 2023.[2]
February 15, 2022 — Paramount confirms that Rise of the Beasts will be the first entry in a trilogy of films.[33]
October 11, 2022 — Caple Jr. reveals through Instagram that Pete Davidson is the voice of Mirage, and Michelle Yeoh is the voice of Airazor.[34]
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.[35]
December 1, 2022 — The official teaser trailer is released by Paramount Pictures in conjunction with São Paulo's CCXP convention. Multiple voice cast members are also announced.[36]
December 2, 2022 — Jongnic Bontemps is announced as the film's score composer. [37]
December 2, 2022 — Caple Jr. shares a clip of Peter Cullen performing on his Instagram account.[38]
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.[39]
February 12, 2023 — Paramount made a 30-second TV spot detailing Mirage's Porsche 911 vehicle mode for Super Bowl LVII in collaboration with Porsche.[40]
April 2, 2023 - During the 2023 NCAA 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. [41]
April 6, 2023 — Actor Tongayi Chirisa announces on Instagram that he is the voice of Cheetor.[42]
April 14, 2023 — To promote the film, Optimus Prime introduces Tobe Nwigwe's performance at Coachella.[43]
Notes
In a first for the franchise, the lead human actors, multiple writers, the composer, and the director are all people of color.
During the production of the film, Ramos had to acquire a driver's license at Caple Jr.'s behest.[44]
↑"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."—@transformers, Twitter, 2021/06/22
↑"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."—Jeff Sneider, Collider, "Exclusive: 'Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Adds Ron Perlman as Voice of Optimus Primal", 2021/06/28
↑"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"—@paramountplus, Twitter, 2022/02/15
↑"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."—Tobe Nwigwe, Instagram, 2022/10/21
↑"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"—Tongayi Chirisa, Instagram, 2023/04/06
↑"Calling all Autobots. @TobeNwigwe and #OptimusPrime have rolled out to #Coachella. #Transformers #RiseOfTheBeasts"—Transformers, Twitter, 2022/04/14
