In a recent Variety profile, Paramount CEO Brian Robbins enthusiastically discusses his “big idea” to merge the two iconic toy lines for an exciting cinematic adventure. The journalist, Brett Lang, referred to it as a “eureka moment,” capturing Robbins’ ambitious vision accurately. Michael Bay concerned about how this crossover might impact the Transformers franchise.
After spending two decades directing various films for the studio and delivering a few enjoyable hits like Good Burger and Varsity Blues, Robbins, now at the helm of Paramount, appears thrilled with his successful coup de tentpole, as described in the article. Before executing his ambitious plan, Robbins needed to secure the green light from Transformers maestro Michael Bay, which turned out to be quite a challenging task.
Brian Robbins Had To Convince Both Michael Bay And Steven Spielberg
Robbins faced the daunting task of getting not only Bay’s approval but also convincing Hasbro and Transformers executive producer Steven Spielberg to sign off on the idea. Back in 2007, this crossover proposal would have been met with resistance from those with financial stakes, as both Spielberg and Bay were launching a highly successful franchise, and Hasbro preferred to keep two separate Hollywood revenue streams.
In the 16 years since Bay’s initial Transformers film, the landscape has markedly changed. The once-billion-dollar-grossing franchise has dipped considerably, with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts pulling in a comparatively modest $428 million. Similarly, the G.I. Joe action figure-inspired films, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and G.I. Joe: Retaliation, starring Dwayne Johnson, earned $303 million and $376 million, respectively, with the latter barely doubling its production budget.
Robbins persistently pursued Bay, making 50 phone calls before finally getting him on board for the crossover project, as shared in his conversation with Lang. “I called [Bay] 50 times … I would not let him off the hook. And when he finally stopped dodging my calls, we got him to sign off.“
Bay’s initial reluctance could be attributed to the potential implications that mixing franchises often carries in Hollywood.
Also Read: Hasbro wants Old Transformers Games to be Put on Game Pass
Will Dwayne Johnson Return To The Franchise
In the ongoing efforts to breathe new life into the G.I. Joe franchise, one popular idea has been to explore a crossover with the successful Transformers series, both housed under Paramount Pictures. D.J. Caruso, the director of xXx: Return of Xander Cage, was previously in discussions to helm G.I. Joe 3. In an interview, Caruso discussed his potential role in the G.I. Joe project and whether Dwayne Johnson will return to the franchise.
“I would like for it to happen. Paramount and I—right before I started this—were kind of working on that, and met with Dwayne [“The Rock” Johnson], and were discussing it. And that was where I would like to see—if I was gonna be involved in G.I. Joe—that franchise go. And I think there might be a chance, so we’ll see what happens.”
Lorenzo di Bonaventura, the renowned producer responsible for all the Transformers and G.I. Joe films, revealed his admiration for Snake Eyes, singling him out as his favorite character. While discussing the possibility of familiar faces making a comeback in future films, he remained secretive, leaving fans to wonder if Dwayne Johnson will be part of the next thrilling adventure in the lucrative $5.3 billion cinematic universe.
Source: Slashfilm
