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5 Beast Wars Characters That Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Killed Off-Screen


Transformers: Rise of the Beasts includes a hint that the other Maximal characters from the original Beast Wars TV series have been killed off-screen. Rise of the Beasts is the seventh live-action Transformers movie loosely based on the aforementioned TV show. From introducing the Maximals to including MacGuffins like a Transwarp Key, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts includes many Beast Wars elements.

This extends to the Optimus Primal, Airazor, Cheetor, and Rhinox, the four main Maximal Transformers included in the film. Despite the similar aspects, Rise of the Beasts changed Beast Wars' story somewhat, with one line of dialogue hinting that the future appearance of other Maximals from the original show is impossible. This line comes from Airazor, who insists that only four Maximals remain in the galaxy after the death of Apelinq at the beginning of the film. Taking this line as gospel, here is every Maximal character from the original Beast Wars show that has been seemingly killed off-screen.

5 Rattrap

One of the primary characters from Beast Wars that does not appear by the ending of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is Rattrap. In Beast Wars, Rattrap was a Maximal hacker, saboteur, and demolitions expert. In the series, Rattrap fittingly took the form of a rat, yet failed to appear in Rise of the Beasts. While these missing Maximals could be retconned to appear in future films, Airazor's line of there being no others left seemingly hints that Rattrap is already dead.

The original Beast Wars saw Rattrap as a cowardly figure at first, before later going on to find his courage and risk his life for his comrades. One element of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts that was somewhat disappointing was the film's lack of focus on the Maximals' specializations. Other than Optimus Primal, the Maximals did not receive much focus regarding their place on the team. As a result, the Maximals lacked a hacker like Rattrap who played an important role in Beast Wars by helping the Maximals fight against the Predacons.

4 Dinobot

Dinobot was a Maximal character from Beast Wars who took the form of a Velociraptor. Dinobot was shown to strike a rivalry-turned-friendship with Rattrap in the original show, meaning it can be seen as a blessing that neither appeared in Rise of the Beasts. If the film had featured one MAximal without the other, their interesting character dynamic from Beast Wars would have been lost. At first, Dinobot was a Predacon warrior, before defecting to the Maximals. Beast Wars showcased this, with Dinobot sacrificing his life to stop the Predacons, one of Beast Wars' most emotional story beats.

However, much like Rattrap, Dinobot did not appear in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Airazor's dialogue in the film also makes it the case that Dinobot has likely already died, though the film's lack of the Predacons could pave the way for Dinobot to have a similar arc in the sequel to Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Until Dinobot's future role is confirmed, however, it is safe to assume he perished along with the other Maximals, leaving only Primal, Airazor, Rhinox, and Cheetor alive.

3 Tigatron

Another Maximal character from Beast Wars that is almost impossible to include in the future of live-action Transformers is Tigatron. While the mention of other Maximals being dead by Airazor is enough to confirm this, the connection between Tigatron and Airazor in Beast Wars can never be explored due to Tigatron's supposed death and Airazor's fate in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. In Beast Wars, Tigatron is a Maximal who takes the form of a white tiger, remaining mostly neutral living in the wilderness. Despite his neutrality, Tigatron regularly helps the Maximals in their battle against Megatron and the Predacons.

In Beast Wars season 2, Tigatron and Airazor begin a romantic relationship. Eventually, the two are transported to an alien homeworld where they merge, becoming the Maximal known as Tigerhawk. As Tigatron was all but confirmed dead in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - and Airazor was killed by Optimus Primal after being infected by Scourge - the inclusion of Tigerhawk in the future is highly unlikely. As a result, Tigatron himself will likely not appear in live-action Transformers and was seemingly killed off-screen before the film's events.

2 Silverbolt

While Rise of the Beasts' post-credits scene could have teased more Maximals, this was not the case, meaning Silverbolt is also likely dead along with the other missing Transformers from Beast Wars. Silverbolt is introduced later in Beast Wars story, as a chivalrous knight-like character who takes the form of a wolf-eagle hybrid. Much like Tigatron, Rattrap, and Dinobot, Silverbolt's existence is not hinted at in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, outside of Airazor implying he is dead along with the other Maximals.

1 Depth Charge

An interesting Maximal from the original Beast Wars show was Depth Charge. Depth Charge was once a vigilante on Cybertron before becoming a vigilante, committed to hunting down Transformer serial killers. One of these killers was a criminal named Protoform X, who eventually became a Predacon known as Rampage and fought for Megatron. As a result, Depth Charge tracked Rampage to prehistoric Earth, coming into contact with the Maximals. Depth Charge takes the form of a manta ray, making him a water-based Maximal.

Despite being a force for good, Depth Charge often came into conflict with the Maximals. Despite this, the commitment of Rampage to the Predacon cause meant that Depth Charge often showed up to aid the Maximals in battle. The ending of Beast Wars saw Depth Charge face off against Rampage in a fateful battle aboard Megatron's ship, Nemesis. In the end, Depth Charge impaled Rampage's spark with raw energon, resulting in an explosion that saw both Transformers meet their end.

Depth Charge, due to his more neutral nature, would have been an interesting inclusion in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. However, as with the other Maximals on this list, he is not mentioned nor seen in the film. It is safe to assume that Depth Charge is also dead alongside the other missing Transformers due to Airazor's comments, though this is something that could just as easily be retconned in future films. If Paramount opts to make a spin-off of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, the film could more closely follow Beast Wars' story and bring the presumed dead Maximals into the live-action Transformers universe.
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When Will Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Starts Streaming Online?

The recent release of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has left many wondering when it will be released on streaming, digital, Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD.

The Transformers are back on the big screen for their first movie without mainstay director Michael Bay with Rise of the Beasts. The blockbuster is the second of the franchise's prequel movie series, following on from 2018's Bumblebee spin-off.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts arrived to generally positive reactions from critics as it introduced a whole new cast of characters and actors to the franchise. 

Fans even have plenty to look forward to from the future of Transformers as a major crossover movie appears to be on the way in the future.

When Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Is Expected to Begin Streaming

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has yet to set an exact streaming release date, but as the movie is distributed by Paramount, it is expected to make its streaming debut on Paramount+ in the coming months.

Looking at past theatrical-to-streaming windows for Paramount+, the studio's last two major movies - Scream VI and Dungeons & Dragons - both landed on the service 46 days after arriving on the big screen, with the same true for last year's massive horror hit Smile.

Taking this into account, the most likely date for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts to arrive on Paramount+ is Tuesday, July 25.

That said, several other recent Paramount movies such as Babylon and 80 for Brady opted for a slightly longer window of 60 days. So, the streaming release for the newest Transformers movie could stretch as late as Tuesday, August 8.


Predicting When Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Will Be Available to Purchase

With regard to when Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be available to purchase on digital, Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD, that becomes a little harder to predict.

In terms of the film's digital release, Paramount tends to release its movie for digital purchase either on the same day or a few weeks before they come to Paramount+.

So, while an exact date may be impossible to narrow down, fans should expect to be able to purchase Rise of the Beasts digitally sometime in July.

Looking at the physical Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD release dates for recent Paramount movies, aside from the one outlier of a 123-day theatrical-to-physical release window for Scream VI, most range from 60 to 88 days.

Based on that standard 60 to 88-day wait for Paramount's physical release, fans should expect to be able to purchase Transformers: Rise of the Beasts on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD anytime from early August to early September.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is playing in theaters now.
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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Mid-Credits, Explained


The following contains spoilers for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, now in theaters.

As Transformers: Rise of the Beasts rolls on, Noah deals with a daunting task. The former soldier's thrust into an intergalactic war with Scourge and the Terrorcons coming to Earth. They're after the Transwarp key, so they can open a portal and bring Unicron over to devour the planet.

Thankfully, Optimus Prime and the Autobots get help from Optimus Primal and the Maximals. Eventually, they stop the villains, but there are casualties. And while Rise of the Beasts doesn't have a post-credits scene, a mid-credits sequence brings back a fallen Autobot as a reward for their service.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' Mid-Credits Scene Revives Mirage

In the final act, fans see Pete Davidson's Mirage die protecting Noah when they try to destroy the key and shut the portal down. But the mid-credits scene has Noah working on the body in his garage. It seems at first like he's just using the junk parts to scrap together the car again. But it's clearly meant to honor the bot that became like a brother to him after Mirage kidnapped Noah at the start.


However, when Noah's buddy, Reek, jokes about selling it to earn cash in Brooklyn, Mirage activates and transforms back to life. Noah's ecstatic, affirming he's a genius when it comes to tech. But fans don't get to see Mirage fully when he wakes up, hinting Noah has made changes. It's a happy ending and cements the fact that death is never truly the end for Autobots. Bumblebee also got revived with an energon infusion, so it's possible Mirage had a similar thing happen.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Does Justice to Mirage and Noah

Now, some would say this is idealistic. But it does justice to the bond Noah and Mirage have in the film. Mirage sees how Noah fights to protect his family and the world, especially his sick brother, Kris. This inspires Mirage to take care of Noah more, to the point he even keeps in radio contact to update Kris on their mission. It's endearing and outdoes the sentimental arcs seen with humans like Sam and Charlie -- both of whom befriended Bumblebee.

Even with Cade and Izabella from The Last Knight, that sense of family and the overall emotional connection didn't run as deep as this. What also plays into Mirage and Noah's brotherhood is how Noah stands up to Prime, making it clear he'll even destroy the key and end their chances of going back to Cybertron if it stops the sinister giant in Unicron. That's the kind of rebellion Mirage likes, so when he sees Noah giving lip, he lives vicariously through it and knows he's found a true buddy. He even gave Noah a gauntlet to protect him in battle.

Ultimately, this helps them come together, which is why Mirage gives his body up as he dies to form a robotic shell around Noah. It makes Noah a super-soldier, nodding to the exosuits of the lore, and pushes Noah to save Prime in the end. As such, it's worth seeing Mirage return because this is only the beginning of the journey for him and Noah. They represent Prime's "'Til All Are One!" mantra the best, meaning this mid-credits resurrection is well-earned.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is now in theaters.


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Who Is Primus? The Creator Of Transformers Explained


Warning! This article contains spoilers for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts includes mention of a being named Primus, the creator of the Transformers themselves. Since the Transformers franchise began in the 1980s, many different characters have been spawned from the stories told. This includes the most popular characters used in the live-action series, continuing with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.

As Rise of the Beasts is the seventh installment in the live-action series, it features the inclusion of many new characters from Transformers' history to tell a unique story. From the Maximals - the Autobots able to transform into beasts - to the Terrorcons, Rise of the Beasts includes more factions than simply the Autobots and Decepticons of the series' past. Similarly, Rise of the Beasts features the first live-action mention of a being named Primus from the Transformers series, something that could seed the stories of Transformers 8 and 9 movies.

Primus Is A God Who Created The Transformers


In the Transformers universe, Primus is a god who dates back to the beginning of the universe itself. An ethereal being, Primus is a multiversal force for good with many incarnations across many realities and dimensions. In every one of these universes, Primus stands as the last line of defense against any evil threatening the galaxy. Other than this, Primus is also known as the creator of the Transformers themselves. However, exactly how Primus created the Transformers is interesting, and links to the planet from which the autonomous species hail: Cybertron.

Primus Became The Planet Cybertron

After acting as a force for good in the universe for a time, Primus used his godlike powers to eventually transform himself into the planet Cybertron. After this, the Transformers began sprouting from the planet's surface, essentially extensions of Primus himself. Since then, the Transformers - usually the benevolent tribe the Autobots - have scoured the galaxy fighting for the good of all planets just as Primus did before them. The spark that powers all Transformers is a piece of Primus' life force, together forming the Allspark.

Primus Is Unicron's Twin Brother

Just as Primus was an ethereal being fighting for good in the galaxy before becoming Cybertron, an evil being named Unicron sought to dominate the universe. Unicron - also named the Chaos-Bringer - is the eternal enemy of Primus and his twin brother. Unlike his brother, Unicron seeks to destroy the universe, devouring planets and the fabric of existence until he is the sole survivor of a universe in chaos. As such, Primus has vowed to stop Unicron, with the children of the former often fighting against Unicron and his minions.

As shown in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts - and likely a sequel - Unicron often strikes deals with lesser beings to carry out his plans. This results in conflicts between Primus' creations, the Transformers, and more evil versions of the robotic race. While Unicron has directly appeared in live-action films like Transformers: The Last Knight and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Primus has not been physically included outside the appearances of Cybertron.

Is Optimus Prime Related To Primus?

Due to the similarities in their names, the question could be raised whether Optimus Prime is related to Primus. As Primus' is a god to the Transformers, and responsible for their creation, every being born on Cybertron is essentially a child of Primus. This includes Optimus Prime, though the two have a stronger connection than the other Autobots do with their creator. This comes from Optimus' leadership of the Autobots, which is linked to an aspect of Primus' life force.

One of the more powerful objects in the Transformers universe is the Matrix of Leadership, held by the leader of the Autobots. Throughout many incarnations of the Transformers franchise, Optimus Prime has possessed this Matrix. This solidifies Prime as the leader of the Autobots but also means he houses the life force of Primus. While all Transformers are children of Primus, Optimus Prime essentially acts as an extension of the god's will, fighting against the Decepticons, Terrorcons, and any other evil being carrying out the will of Primus' twin nemesis Unicron.

Primus In Rise Of The Beasts & Transformers Movies

Due to this connection between Optimus Prime and Primus, the god has been referenced multiple times throughout the Transformers live-action franchise, including Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. However, it is worth pointing out that Rise of the Beasts is the first live-action Transformers project to mention Primus by name. That being said, the franchise has still referenced the god at length due to what is known about Primus in wider Transformers lore.

Firstly, the planet of Cybertron has been essential in almost all Transformers films. In 2007's Transformers, the first film in the live-action series, the Autobots intended to use the Allspark to rebuild Cybertron. As the Allspark is Primus' life force, they intended to essentially revive Primus after Cybertron was destroyed by civil war. Cybertron also appears in the third Transformers film, Dark of the Moon. The opening sequence of the third film is set on Cybertron, meaning Primus technically appears in his planetary form. The same can be said for Bumblebee, which opens on Cybertron also, therefore including Primus.

The second live-action film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, features multiple references to Primus. The Matrix of Leadership is a crucial MacGuffin to the plot of the movie, with another Prime named The Fallen attempting to use it to destroy Earth. The Fallen himself is one of Primus' oldest creations, referencing the god. Similarly, the Primes of the past appear to Optimus who is revived using the Matrix, meaning Primus' life force became part of him.

When concerning Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, the most recent live-action film features the first proper mention of Primus. During a conversation with Optimus Primal, the leader of the Maximals mentions that Optimus Prime is a chosen one of Primus. This references Prime's leadership of the Autobots, carrying out Primus' mission against Unicron. Similarly, Unicron is the main villain of the film, with his intention being to annihilate Earth before doing so to the rest of the universe. This would threaten Cybertron too, meaning Transformers: Rise of the Beasts features the direct conflict between Primus and Unicron which will likely continue in sequels to the film.




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Rise Of The Beasts Is Properly Breaking Transformers' Movie Timeline (& That's Okay)


Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is setting up a new Transformers movie timeline, and that is ultimately the franchise's best option. When it comes to toys of the '80s, few have established as much of a lasting legacy as Hasbro's Transformers brand. After many animated and comic book iterations, the Autobots and Decepticons finally hit cinema screens in live-action in 2007's Transformers. Directed by Michael Bay, the success of Transformers would lead to four sequels, also helmed by Bay, while the 2018 movie Bumblebee ambiguously straddled the line between prequel and reboot.

The upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has shown itself cut from Bumblebee's cloth of being a nostalgic throwback, with the movie set in 1994 and looking to follow Bumblebee's timeline. While this means that the Transformers movie timeline established in the Michael Bay films is not being continued, the tone of both shows that a direct connection to Bay's Transformers movies simply would not work. With that said, Rise of the Beasts is also opening new doors for the Transformers movies that Bay's more self-contained franchise would have had more trouble establishing, ultimately to its benefit.

Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Contradicts The Movie Timeline

Among the numerous hints that Rise of the Beasts starts a new Transformers timeline, the presentation of the villainous Unicorn is perhaps the most compelling. Unicron previously was worked into 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight, which would establish that Unicron's remains are within the Earth itself. However, Rise of the Beasts completely contradicts this idea by bringing its own active version of Unicron into play. With the movie set in 1994, it effectively cuts it off from the timeline of the original Transformers franchise.

Additionally, 2018's Bumblebee also would act as a new story of the Autobots's arrival on Earth, establishing their arrival in 1987 as opposed to 2007 in the first Transformers movie. While this could have been retooled into an origin retcon had further Transformers movies sought to connect Bumblebee with the Michael Bay films, the timeline being established by Rises of the Beasts and its 1994 clearly synchs up much better with what Bumblebee set up and brings all new Autobot origins with it. With other elements showing the new timeline of Rise of the Beasts, it is clear that it is not in continuity with the Michael Bay-directed Transformers movies.

Why Transformers Ignoring Movie Continuity Is A Good Thing

While the Transformers franchise may not be continuing from where Bay's films left off, that does not necessarily hurt the prospects of Rise of the Beasts. The Transformers franchise has maintained a strong presence in the public consciousness since the '80s, with multiple iterations and interpretations of the Autobots and Decepticons in that time. Other Transformers iterations, like the Beast Machines series, have established new timelines and backstories for their characters, and often, the Transformers toy line itself tends to influence the latest development in the larger franchise greatly.

The Transformers movies themselves are just the latest example of this and could set up new possibilities for the Transformers franchise cinematically. One particularly exciting scenario could be Transformers having a big-screen crossover with the G.I. Joe franchise, which has happened in numerous comic book stories and could be the ultimate dream scenario for both toy brands on the big screen. Unfortunately, the original Transformers movie franchise was not established in a way for such a crossover to be feasible, so opening doors such as these could be where Rise of the Beasts is headed.

Transformers Could Only Continue By Leaving Its Past Behind

While Michael Bay's Transformers franchise would become a box office juggernaut with two billion dollar hits in Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Transformers: Age of Extinction, Transformers: The Last Knight would become the first underperformer of the series. While Bumblebee would become a modest hit in 2018, its widely positive reception would demonstrate the viability of the Transformers movie franchise but also require it to pick a lane in terms of future stories. In the end, Rise of the Beasts, to follow Bumblebee's continuity, presents new possibilities for unexplored stories and new characters in the Transformers universe, including the aforementioned G.I. Joe crossover.

Moreover, with Bumblebee and Rise of the Beasts heavily built upon the warm nostalgia of the Transformers '80s and '90s toy line origins, trying to link them to the 21st sensibilities of the Bay films would be an arguably unworkable prospect that would do neither Transformers movie series any favors. Moreover, with Bay still actively involved as a producer on Rise of the Beasts, Bay is still helping plan the Transformers franchise and effectively sanctioning the new direction for Transformers on film. Ultimately, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts could only work as a new take on the Transformers franchise, and that is for the best for both.
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Every Movie Coming To Theaters In June 2023


June 2023 will see the release of a bunch of highly-anticipated titles from various genres and franchises, such as an animated Spider-Man movie, a horror movie from the mind of Stephen King, a long-awaited movie from the DC Universe, Pixar’s latest movie, Wes Anderson’s newest project, and more. May also saw some big titles arriving in theaters, such as Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Robert Rodriguez’s sci-fi action movie Hypnotic, the biopic Blackberry, the tenth installment in the Fast & Furious franchise, Fast X, and Disney’s latest live-action adventure, The Little Mermaid.

As May saw mostly big releases, none of them are available to stream yet, and they don’t have projected release dates for streaming either, but luckily, June will bring some of 2023’s most anticipated movies. A variety of titles for all ages and tastes will be hitting theaters in June, such as the sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, a horror movie based on a Stephen King story, a new Transformers movie, Pixar’s latest animated story, Barry Allen’s biggest and most chaotic adventure to date, and the return of the legendary Indiana Jones. Here’s every movie coming to theaters in June 2023.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – June 2

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, set in the shared multiverse known as the “Spider-Verse”. Set over a year after the events of the first movie, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse follows Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) as he’s unexpectedly approached by Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) to complete a mission to save every universe of Spider-People from supervillain the Spot, who could cause a massive disaster. Miles and Gwen go on a journey together through the multiverse and meet its protectors, the Spider-Society, led by Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac), with whom Miles finds himself at odds on how to handle the Spot. Also part of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’s voice cast are Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Vélez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, and Daniel Kaluuya.


The Boogeyman – June 2

The Boogeyman is a supernatural horror movie directed by Rob Savage and based on the 1973 short story of the same name by Stephen King. The Boogeyman is the story of Sadie Harper (Sophia Thatcher), a high school student who along with her little sister, Sawyer (Vivien Lyra Blair), is dealing with the death of their mother, and their father, Will (Chris Messina), although a therapist by profession, is too devastated by his own pain to support his daughters. One day, a desperate patient shows up unexpectedly at the Harpers’ house asking for help, but they bring a terrifying entity that preys on the Harpers and feeds on their greatest suffering. Also starring in The Boogeyman are Marin Ireland, Madison Hu, LisaGay Hamilton, and David Dastmalchian.


Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – June 9

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the seventh installment in the Transformers film series, serving as a standalone sequel to Bumblebee and as a prequel to the movie that started it all. Set in 1994 Brooklyn, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts follows Noah Diaz (Anthony Ramos), an ex-military electronics expert, and Elena Wallace (Dominique Fishback), as they are swept up in a three-way conflict between the Maximals, Predacons, and Terrorcons as they help Optimus Prime and the Autobots in a war to protect the planet from the arrival of Unicron. Also starring in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts are Luna Lauren Vélez, Tobe Nwigwe and Michael Kelly, with the voice cast formed by Peter Cullen, Pete Davidson, Liza Koshy, Ron Perlman, Michelle Yeoh, John DiMaddio, Peter Dinklage, and more.


The Flash – June 16

After a long wait due to various delays, The Flash is finally coming to theaters in June. Directed by Andy Muschietti, The Flash will see Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) using his powers to travel back in time in hopes of preventing his mother’s murder, but messing with time can have dangerous consequences. Barry becomes trapped in an alternate reality without metahumans, and with the help of his younger self, an alternate and older Batman (Michael Keaton), and Kryptonian castaway Supergirl (Sasha Calle), he will do his best to save this world from the restored General Zod (Michael Shannon) and, hopefully, return to his universe. Also part of the cast of The Flash are Ben Affleck, Ron Livingston, Maribel Verdú, Kiersey Clemons, and Antje Traue.


Elemental – June 16

Elemental is the latest movie from Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Peter Sohn, Elemental takes place in Element City, a place where fire, water, land, and air residents all live together, but there’s one big rule: elements can’t mix. When fiery young woman Ember Lumen (voiced by Leah Lewis) meets go-with-the-flow guy Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie), she finally ventures outside her home in Firetown to explore the world and, in the process, realizes what she actually wants instead of doing what her parents want her to. Also part of Elemental’s voice cast are Ronnie del Carmen, Shila Ommi, Mason Wertheimer, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Catherine O’Hara.


No Hard Feelings – June 23

No Hard Feelings is a coming-of-age comedy directed by Gene Stupnitsky. Set in Montauk, New York, No Hard Feelings follows Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence), a young woman working as an Uber driver who is on the edge of bankruptcy after her car is repossessed. Maddie then accepts a Craiglist posting and her new employers are now the concerned parents of Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), an introverted 19-year-old who shows no interest in dating or having sex. In exchange for a Buick Regal, Maddie agrees to become Percy’s “girlfriend” and “date his brains out” to help him join adult life. Also starring in No Hard Feelings are Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, and Scott MacArthur.


Asteroid City – June 23

Asteroid City is a sci-fi rom-com written and directed by Wes Anderson, from a story by Anderson and Roman Coppola. Set in 1955, Asteroid City centers on a group of students and parents from across the country who gather at a Junior Stargazer convention for scholarly competition, rest, recreation, comedy, drama, and romance, but it will all be spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events. As expected, Asteroid City has a long cast list with big names, among them Scarlett Johansson, Jason Schwartzman, Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Jeffrey Wright, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Maya Hawke, Willem Dafoe, and Steve Carell. Asteroid City will have a limited release in New York City and Los Angeles on June 16 before expanding to a wide release on June 23.


Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – June 30

The fifth and final installment in the Indiana Jones film series will arrive in theaters at the end of June. Directed by James Mangold, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will take viewers back to 1969, as Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) grows uneasy over the U.S. government recruiting former Nazis to help beat the Soviet Union in the space race. Now accompanied by his goddaughter, Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), Jones will race against time to retrieve a legendary dial that can change the course of history, while also facing Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), a NASA member and ex-Nazi involved with the moon-landing program who seeks to use it for his own gain. Also starring in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny are Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, and Shaunette Renée Wilson.

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How Optimus Prime Changes In Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Teased By Director

Optimus Prime Changes In Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts director Steven Caple Jr. teases how Optimus Prime changes in the upcoming sequel, including his conflict with Optimus Primal. The seventh live-action movie in the Transformers franchise, Caple Jr.'s new film serves as a loose sequel to 2018's Bumblebee. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts draws from the popular Beast Wars storyline, introducing new factions including the Maximals, the Predacons, and the Terrorcons into Optimus Prime and the Autobot's fight against the Decepticons.

Ahead of the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts release date next month, Caple Jr. shares more details regarding Optimus Prime's arc in a recent interview with SFX magazine (via GamesRadar). The director teases that the film will present a version of Optimus who is not yet the ultimate Prime that he later becomes, and that the iconic hero won't see eye-to-eye with one new character. Check out Caple Jr.'s full comment below:

"Optimus comes across something that may help him, but he starts to butt heads with other people who want the same object. Everyone has a different motive and agenda. But ultimately, his main goal is to get back home and save his planet. Then we all realize that there's a bigger threat at large. Will he help save the Earth? You get to see Optimus become the Prime that we always knew.

"Then he meets other people along the way. We have Optimus Primal, who is a very new character, who is also a leader. You see him clash with Optimus Prime a bit. We play him as someone who is wiser, for the time being. For the fans who do know the lore, there are some small nuggets in there in terms of Optimus Primal and who he is exactly and how he has heard about Optimus Prime. Without going into too much detail, they eventually run into each other and there is a lot of learning to be had and there is an arc between the two."

Rise Of The Beasts' New Optimus Prime Could Be A Great Change

In all the Transformers movies he's appeared in thus far, Optimus Prime has been a strong leader, confident in his decisions, and always a commanding presence on-screen. While the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts trailer suggests the character will retain these classic elements, Caple Jr.'s comment suggests audiences may be seeing a new side of the Autobot leader for the first time.


With Caple Jr. promising that the movie will feature Optimus Prime becoming "the Prime that we always knew," he's suggesting that, in some ways, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts could serve as something of an origin story for the character. Seeing a version of Optimus Prime who has not yet ascended to the status of this mythic hero could actually deepen the character and make the version of him that appears in other films even more compelling.

What's more, the director's comment hints that at the beginning of the film, Optimus Prime will not have rallied other Transformers to his cause, including the powerful Optimus Primal. It could be interesting to see Optimus Prime not yet command the authority that he's known for, struggling to prove himself as these different factions of Transformers all vie for the same thing. It remains to be seen how Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will compare to other installments in the franchise, but the film is already shaping up to mark an interesting change for one major character.

Source: SFX magazine
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New Transformers Director Turned To Michael Bay For Tips With Rise Of The Beasts


Transformers: Rise of the Beasts director Steven Caple Jr. reached out to franchise veteran Michael Bay for advice. The upcoming movie takes the franchise to the 1990s, following Optimus Prime and Bumblebee, along with the newly introduced Maximals, who are faced with their biggest threat yet. The Transformers: Rise of the Beasts cast includes Anthony Ramos as the new human protagonist and a stellar lineup of voice actors, with Pete Davidson, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, Peter Cullen, and Michelle Yeoh.

While speaking with THR, Caple Jr. opened up about reaching out to Bay for advice on Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. Bay directed the first five Transformers movies and serves as a producer on the new film, making him the perfect source for help regarding robots in disguise. According to Caple Jr., Bay was an invaluable resource, helping the director with his first foray into large-scale VFX. Check out Caple Jr.'s comments about Transformers: Rise of the Beasts below:

You want to make sure you’re in your creative bubble when trying to design this world and build out the franchise, but similar to when I stepped into the Creed franchise, you call the ones who have done it before you, whether it be Sylvester Stallone or Ryan Coogler. So I’m doing the same here. I hit up Michael Bay, who’s, of course, a producer on this project. He was making Ambulance at the time, but he still picked up the phone and hopped onto Zoom. And a lot of it was like, 'How do I deal with visual effects?' because that’s a new area for me. So it was a huge learning curve, and it was like going through school again, if you will. Monday through Friday, I was prepping for the film, and Saturday, Sunday, I was learning a lot from the visual effects supervisor and calls with Michael Bay. He gave hints and tips on how to accomplish certain things, so you‘ve definitely gotta hit those guys up who’ve done it before me. It helps.

What To Expect From A Transformers Movie Not Directed By Michael Bay


While Transformers is based on a preexisting toy line and cartoon, the film franchise owes a lot to Bay, who helped establish the look and lore of the movies. The franchise is also known for its bombastic action set pieces, which is a Bay trademark. However, despite massive box office returns, each entry Bay directed missed with critics, all earning Rotten scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

The sole entry in the Transformers franchise to earn positive reviews is 2018's Bumblebee, which is a prequel and the first film not to have Bay at the helm. Bumblebee was seen as a breath of fresh air for the series, focusing on a smaller story, which ultimately proved successful. Bay still served as a producer, and his influence over the franchise was present, but the film was free of the "bayhem" that defined the series.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts looks to be stepping away from Bumblebee's smaller scale and again focusing on significant action set pieces. The film has already shown the villain Unicron, a Transformer that devours planets, posing their literal biggest threat ever. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will see Caple Jr. tackling Bay-level action, which could prove a distinct combination. The director has proven himself more than capable, having helmed Creed II, meaning the film could focus on dynamic character struggles throughout the action. What Caple Jr. brings to the franchise can be seen when Transformers: Rise of the Beasts hits theaters in June.

Source: THR

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Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Reactions – Flawed, But Still A Blast


Early reactions praise Transformers: Rise of the Beast as one of the best installments in the franchise so far. With Transformers: Rise of the Beast releasing in theaters relatively soon, some early reviews have already begun trickling in. The film marks the seventh installment in the Transformers franchise and serves as a sequel to the 2018 film Bumblebee and a prequel to the original Transformers films. The film will see three more robot factions enter the conflict between Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) and the Decepticons.

Users took to Twitter to share their early reactions to Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and the responses were largely positive. Many reactions hailed the film as one of the best installments in the Transformers franchise, alongside Bumblebee. Many pinpointed the heart, action, humor, and performances of Anthony Ramos and Pete Davidson as the best parts of the film. However, there were some minor complaints of "clunky" dialogue and "cheesiness."

What Viewers Can Expect From Transformers: Rise of the Beasts


The positive early reviews are encouraging, as it was fairly difficult to predict how Transformers: Rise of the Beasts would be received since the Transformers franchise has a messy history. While the films have always performed well at the box office, they have struggled to gain positive critical reception when the franchise started. The first film received mixed-to-positive reviews, but the following four films were largely panned by critics. This trend changed after Bumblebee came along and was the first film to receive undivided positive reception but a lower box office performance.

Fortunately, it seems that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts may keep the franchise on track. In addition to a potentially strong Transformers installment, the film works as a reboot and pays tribute to the original franchise. This point has raised a bit of confusion, with questions about where this installment fits in the franchise's timeline and its canonical aspects. It serves as a sequel to Bumblebee but a soft prequel reboot to the earlier Transformers films. This means that it incorporates aspects of the early franchise, such as utilizing designs that hearken back to the originals, but it's flexible in its timeline, retcons some stories, and introduces new characters.

Given the underlying connections between films, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will see the return of franchise regulars Peter Cullen, John DiMaggio, and David Sobolov but will also introduce new cast members, such as Ramos, Davidson, Dominique Fishback, Ron Perlman, and Michelle Yeoh. The film will also set itself apart by introducing the new robot factions, including three new robot tribes that transform into robotic animals. Ultimately, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts looks like a promising addition to the Transformers franchise that balances nostalgia with newness.

Source: Various
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