Why the Next Transformers Movie Won’t Bring Back the Rise of the Beasts Director

Just when you thought the Transformers movies might finally run out of gas, they keep finding new ways to shake things up—or at least, keep chugging along. If you grew up in the '80s (or have a soft spot for retro mashups), you probably remember those original Transformers toys and cartoons, which basically invented the Saturday morning hype machine. That synergy between plastic robots and cheap animation was legendary, and it only got supercharged in 2007 when Michael Bay unleashed the first live-action Transformers on the world. Believe it or not, that movie hauled in a massive $709.7 million worldwide—a number Hasbro’s toy accountants probably still dream about.

Since then, the franchise has been a genuine cash cow, raking in over $5.2 billion worldwide across an ever-growing stack of bombastic sequels. But—big surprise—the golden run hasn’t exactly lasted forever. The latest film, 2023’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, posted the franchise’s lowest box office numbers since Bay’s robots first exploded onto the scene. Not a disaster, but definitely a warning shot across Hasbro’s bow.

Not-So-Secret Plans: Transformers vs. G.I. Joe?

Still, Rise of the Beasts did manage to get people buzzing by finally dropping a hint that the Transformers might team up (or more likely, throw down) with another classic '80s property: G.I. Joe. That's something super-fans have been talking about for years, and surprisingly, the big crossover still seems to be more of a “maybe someday” dream than an actual locked-in project.

The only real update from the Transformers camp lately comes from Steven Caple Jr., who directed Rise of the Beasts. If you were hoping he'd stick around to handle the next movie, bad news: he’s officially out. Caple explained to Screen Rant that while there's talk of the Transformers-G.I. Joe crossover, it’s not what the studio is actively working on next. Here’s his take—the closest you’ll get to an answer right now:

'I still do have big plans for what that [crossover] could be, but we'll have to see. We'll have to see what comes about it. I am not part of the next Transformers film, but it's still in development and there's still time, so you just never know.'

In other words: if you want Autobots vs. Joes on the big screen, you’ll have to keep waiting—and maybe cross your fingers that Hasbro’s boardroom is in a good mood.

Box Office: All Over the Map

Here’s where things get weird: the box office and the critics have never agreed on this franchise. Take Transformers: Dark of the Moon—easily the top earner, with more than $1 billion worldwide—even though it only clocked a painful 35% on Rotten Tomatoes. Compare that to Bumblebee, which critics actually liked (91%), but—go figure—made less than half as much money ($468 million).

For those keeping score, the Transformers movies peaked (financially, at least) back in 2014. Since then, ticket sales have been trending downward, no matter how many robot dinosaurs or explosions you throw at the screen.

What About G.I. Joe?

To put it gently, G.I. Joe’s big screen career has been rockier. The first two movies did okay—not spectacular, but they each passed $300 million and kept the brand alive (barely). Critics? Not impressed: 33% and 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, to be exact. Paramount tried to reboot things with Snake Eyes, aiming for a grittier tone, but the world barely noticed. Blame the pandemic or the movie itself, but total box office was a brutal $40 million globally.

• Transformers franchise total: $5.2 billion+ worldwide
• Rise of the Beasts (2023): Franchise’s lowest performer (exact figure not specified)
• G.I. Joe first film: $302.5 million, 33% fresh
• G.I. Joe: Retaliation: $375.7 million, 29% fresh
• Snake Eyes (2021): $40 million, poor reviews plus pandemic delays

How’s the Cross-Over Looking?

There’s no official movement on mashing up the two Hasbro universes just yet. Rise of the Beasts star Anthony Ramos summed up the current state of things with this:

'Come on, talk to Paramount. I mean, everybody's buying everybody now. So Paramount, talk to Skydance or talk to whoever ... all of them, just hit them up, if you've got their number. Shout them out.'

Which is a pretty honest way of admitting, 'Nobody really knows what’s happening with the sequel—or the crossover.' Until the studios figure it out (and the box office starts looking up again), we’re all just here waiting for robots and Joes to finally team up—or at least share a post-credits scene.