When Is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Movie Set in the Franchise?

A new Transformers movie is set to be released in theaters next week. And along with this, we can't help but ask is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts a reboot, prequel, or sequel along with everybody else.

Despite being the 7th Transformers movie, the franchise is actually undergoing a reset since the five Michael Bay-directed movies. With this new movie, Paramount is finally bringing in the characters from Beast Wars to the franchise.

But how does this new movie fit into the timeline? How does it connect with the other Transformers movies? Here's what we know.

How Many Transformers Movies Are There?

Credit: Paramount

It's important to establish first, that this franchise is in no way connected to the animated series from years ago. We're limiting this to the Transformers movies that Michael Bay directed since 2007.

As a whole, there are five Transformers movies that Bay directed. This was followed by a standalone Bumblebee origin movie in 2018 that Travis Knight directed.

The upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts movie, directed by Steven Caple Jr., counts as the 7th Transformers movie.

These movies, in order of release date, include the following titles:

• Transformers (2007)
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
• Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
• Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
• Bumblebee (2018)
• Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)

Is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts a Sequel? Prequel? Or a Reboot?

Credit: Paramount

So where exactly does Transformers: Rise of the Beasts fit in the timeline in terms of the franchise? Is it a sequel, prequel, or a complete reboot of the franchise?

The answer, unfortunately, isn't as easy to explain. But in essence, Rise of the Beasts is an important regression in the timeline of the movies.

After all, the setting appears to be set before the onset of the Autobots and Decepticons that we know today. Not to mention, Beast Wars characters are animal Transformers.

But going back to the question of whether the upcoming Transformers movie is a prequel, sequel, or reboot, the answer is that it's all of the above. Here's an explanation:

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Is a Sequel to Bumblebee

Credit: Paramount

The standalone Bumblebee movie was set in the '80s. Meanwhile, Rise of the Beasts will be set sometime in the 1990s.

Since the franchise is being reconstructed to make room for a new timeline that doesn't fit into Bay's direction, the franchise is technically getting a reboot without doing a reboot.

Is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Connected With Michael Bay’s Transformers Movies?

Credit: Paramount

The story for Rise of the Beasts is set a couple of decades prior to Bay's first Transformers movie. This means that it will be set between Bumblebee and the 2007 Transformers movie.

By going with this route, Caple Jr. is able to fill in the gaps between the movies. He can also play around and add live-action Transformers characters like the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons.

Is Transformers: Rise of the Beasts a Reboot of the Franchise?

Credit: Paramount

Since Bay plays a role in the production of Rise of the Beasts, it's not exactly a reboot. But it does hint that Paramount wishes to start fresh with the franchise.

There's no exact confirmation whether the upcoming Transformers film will be completely detached from the films created by Bay. But if there's something that we got from the trailer, it would be that Caple Jr. isn't that worried about how to connect the films in the future.

If the new movie works with its audience, this story arc could grow and bridge the gap to the series of events that occur in the first Transformers film.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is coming out on June 9, 2023. You can check out the official trailer here:

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