Franchise FAQ

who owns the transformers franchise

by Barry Kling Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Hasbro

Full Answer

Does Disney own Transformers?

“We are thrilled to have two more amazing companies as part of the Disney family”, said Disney representative Yinsid Walters. Now that Disney owns such beloved toy lines like GI Joe, Transformers, Barbie and Masters of the Universe, what do they plan to do with them? Keep in mind that some of the biggest lines in these two companies currently are already Disney properties.

Who are the villains in Transformers?

  • Sideways
  • Soundwave (Unicron trilogy)
  • Bludgeon (Comics)
  • Scourge (defected to the Decepticons)
  • Cyclonus (defected to the Decepticons)
  • Galvatron (defected to the Decepticons)
  • Nemesis Prime

Who are some of the strongest Transformers?

These Are the Top 10 Strongest G1 Transformers, Ranked

  1. Starscream. Starscream is one of Megatron's loyal — but, sometimes, not so loyal — commanders. ...
  2. Ironhide. Ironhide is one of Optimus Prime's oldest soldiers and friends. ...
  3. Soundwave. ...
  4. Springer. ...
  5. SixShot. ...
  6. Jetfire. ...
  7. Overlord. ...
  8. Ultra Magnus. ...
  9. Shockwave. ...
  10. Grimlock. ...

Who owns the franchise for Transformers?

Transformers is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy.It follows the battles of sentient, living autonomous robots, often the Autobots and the Decepticons, who can transform into other forms, such as vehicles and animals.The franchise encompasses toys, animation, comic books, video games and films.

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Is Transformers owned by Marvel?

Yes and No! Earlier when Marvel started Transformer's comics, they featured many Avengers in them. But if we talk about movies, then no because the rights for Transformers were later bought by Hasbro, which is a toy company, which was a really big market in earlier days.

Who created the Transformers franchise?

Transformers were a toy line and cartoon series from 1984 produced by Hasbro and became one of the best-selling toys of all time. Transformers led to an animated movie in 1986, many future toy lines, and a series of live-action movies.

Is Transformers owned by DreamWorks?

Transformers is a franchise by DreamWorks SKG (a company separate from DreamWorks Animation) and the name of the first movie in the series. They are live action movies directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg, incorporating extensive CGI to bring the Autobots and Decepticons to life on screen.

Are the Transformers movies Disney?

The series has been distributed by Paramount Pictures and, for the first two films, DreamWorks Pictures. The original Transformers series has received negative to mixed reception, except for Bumblebee, which received positive reviews.

Who named Optimus Prime?

Denny O'Neil, the Man who Named Optimus Prime, Dies at Age 81 - Transformers.

Who is the strongest Transformer?

It shouldn't come as a surprise when one names Optimus the strongest Autobot. His battles are too numerous to count. He's defeated Megatron on multiple occasions and has taken down foes even Sentinel would have no chance against. After all, he managed to kill both Megatron and Sentinel- with one good arm!

Is Transformer 7 coming out?

Transformers 7: Rise of the Beasts got pushed back to June 9, 2023, delayed from its original release date of June 24, 2022.

What if Paramount kept DreamWorks?

DreamWorks would be integrated as a division of Paramount Pictures as DreamWorks Entertainment SKG. Future DreamWorks releases would still be distributed by Paramount Pictures. Also, the Netflix-exclusive films from Sunnie Lite to Bluehilda would've made theatrical releases instead.

Is the Transformers franchise over?

A new Transformers movie is set to arrive in 2023, Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts, and the next Transformers movie will be the first of many to come. After taking a few years to develop various ideas, Paramount seems to have figured out what the future of the franchise will look like.

Is DreamWorks owned by Disney?

DreamWorks Animation is owned by Comcast (part of the same group as Universal Animation). There is no Disney attached, just Comcast. DreamWorks Pictures is owned by Amblin Partners, not Disney.

Is Transformers part of Warner Bros?

Transformers: Animated | Warner Bros. Entertainment Wiki | Fandom.

Is Sonic owned by Disney?

Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega.

Did the Quintessons created the Transformers?

Cartoon continuity As fate would have it, it turned out that the Quintessons were responsible for creating the Transformers and building the planet Cybertron, which was originally nothing more than a colossal factory.

Who created the Quintessons?

Quintus PrimeQuintus Prime created the Quintessons with the Emberstone. Alpha Trion suspected he was murdered by the first Quintessons the second they did not need him anymore. The Quintessons eventually developed space flight and sought out the home planet of their creator: Cybertron.

Who created Unicron and Primus?

Here, Primus and Unicron were brothers, twin heralds created by the Allspark to explore the universe.

Who invented the first Transformer?

Ottó BláthyKároly ZipernowskyTransformer/Inventors

Who distributed Transformers?

The series has been distributed by Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures. The original Transformers film series has received negative to mixed reception, except for Bumblebee, which received positive reviews. It is the 13th-highest-grossing film series, with a total of $4.8 billion; two films in the series have grossed over $1 billion each.

Who was the first Transformers producer?

For the first film, producer Don Murphy was planning a G.I. Joe film adaptation, but when the U.S. launched the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Hasbro suggested adapting the Transformers franchise instead. Tom DeSanto joined Murphy because he was a fan of the series.

What is the Transformers series?

Transformers. (film series) Transformers is a series of American science fiction action films based on the Transformers franchise which began in the 1980s . Michael Bay has directed the first five films: Transformers (2007), Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Dark of the Moon (2011), Age of Extinction (2014), and The Last Knight (2017).

What is the highest rated Transformers movie?

The 2018 spin-off film, Bumblebee, received generally positive reviews with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%, making it the highest-rated film in the series. Critics praised it for its lighter tone, story, visuals, acting, direction, and faithfulness to the 1980s Transformers show.

How many Transformers movies has Michael Bay directed?

Michael Bay has directed the first five films: Transformers (2007), Revenge of the Fallen (2009), Dark of the Moon (2011), Age of Extinction (2014), and The Last Knight (2017). A spin-off film, Bumblebee, directed by Travis Knight and produced by Bay, was released on December 21, 2018. A seventh film, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, ...

When will Transformers One be released?

In May 2020, Paramount scheduled a release date for one of their Transformers projects as June 24, 2022. Untitled prequel film: In September 2015, it was announced that Barrer and Ferrari were hired to write a film that will explore the origins of Cybertron, with a working title of Transformers One.

How many robots are there in Transformers?

Lorenzo di Bonaventura said that in total, there are around forty robots in the film, while ILM 's Scott Farrar has said there are actually sixty. Orci added that he wanted to "modulate" the humor more, and felt he managed the more "outrageous" jokes by balancing them with a more serious plot approach to the Transformers' mythology. Bay concurred that he wanted to please fans by making the tone darker, and that "moms will think its safe enough to bring the kids back out to the movies" despite his trademark sense of humor.

What is the Transformers franchise?

The Transformers, often retrospectively known as Generation 1 (or "G1" for short), is the original Transformers franchise which took the United States by storm in 1984 and founded the Generation 1 continuity family .

When did Generation 1 start?

The Transformers, often retrospectively known as Generation 1 (or "G1" for short), is the original Transformers franchise which took the United States by storm in 1984 and founded the Generation 1 continuity family .

When did Generation One come out?

The term "Generation One" (spelled as the word "One") saw its first official use on the packaging of Takara 's SCF (Super Collection Figures) line of PVC figures, launched in 2000.

Is Transformers a Japanese franchise?

Japanese release. In Japan, rather than simply be identified as The Transformers throughout its lifespan, the franchise was rebranded with a new title and a shift in storytelling every year. This led to a collection of mini-franchises within the larger "Generation 1" franchise, each featuring their own individual components.

Who created the Transformers?

Marvel's Editor-in-Chief at the time, Jim Shooter, produced a rough story concept for the series, creating the idea of the two warring factions of alien robots – the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. To flesh out his concept, Shooter called upon veteran editor Dennis O'Neil to create character names and profiles for the cast, but O'Neill's work did not meet with Hasbro's expectations, and they requested heavy revisions. O'Neill declined to make said revisions, and the project was turned down by several writers and editors approached by Shooter until editor Bob Budiansky accepted the task. Hastily performing the revisions over a weekend, Budiansky's new names and profiles were a hit with Hasbro, and production began on a bi-monthly four-issue comic book miniseries, and three-part television pilot. Both comic and cartoon would wind up continuing for years beyond these short-term beginnings, using Budiansky's original development work as a springboard to tell the story of the Transformers in very different ways from one another, forming two separate, unrelated continuities for the brand out of the gate.

Who made the Transformers movie?

In the third season Toei's involvement with the production team was reduced and the animation services were shared with the South Korean studio AKOM. The fourth season was entirely animated by AKOM. The series was supplemented by a feature film, The Transformers: The Movie (1986), taking place between the second and third seasons.

What happens in Transformers season 3?

Season three picks up where the movie leaves off , with the Autobots now in control of Cybertron once more, working to restore their homeworld and serving as peacemakers for worlds all across the galaxy. The Decepticons, meanwhile, are in exile on the ruined world of Chaar, led now by Galvatron, the rebuilt, upgraded version of Megatron recreated by Unicron. Interconnected episodes, running plot threads and small story arcs became more common in the series, including the return of Starscream (following his death in the movie) as a ghost, frequent battles between the giant Autobot and Decepticon cities of Metroplex and Trypticon and the threat to both sides posed by the alien Quintessons, introduced in the movie and revealed in the season's premiere miniseries "Five Faces of Darkness" to be the true creators of the Transformers.

What is the story of the Optimus Prime?

The story follows Optimus Prime 's heroic Autobots and Megatron 's evil Decepticons as they leave their metallic homeworld of Cybertron to search for new sources of energy to revitalize their war efforts, only to crash-land on Earth, where they remain entombed and offline for 4 million years. Awakening in the year of 1984, the Decepticons set about pillaging the energy sources of Earth, while the Autobots—aided by human father and son Sparkplug and Spike Witwicky—attempt to protect the new world on which they find themselves. The miniseries concludes with the Decepticons believed dead after their space cruiser is sent plunging into the ocean depths, while the Autobots prepare to return to Cybertron.

What is the Transformers toyline?

The Transformers toyline and animated series were inspired by the Japanese toyline, Microman (an Eastern descendant of the 12-inch G.I. Joe action figure series) by Takara. In 1980, the Microman spin-off, Diaclone, was released, featuring inch-tall humanoid figures able to sit in the drivers' seats of scale model vehicles, ...

What are the two factions in Transformers?

This series focuses on the Transformers, split into two warring factions: the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons as they crash land on Earth and continue their eons long conflict there.

When did the Transformers come out?

Website. The Transformers is an American animated television series which originally aired from September 17, 1984 to November 11, 1987 in syndication. The first of many series in the Transformers franchise, it was based upon Hasbro 's Transformers toy line and depicts a war among giant robots that can transform into vehicles and other objects.

6 More Transformers Generation One Comics

More comics based on the characters and aesthetics of Transformers: Generation One is the obvious choice, so much so that it's practically a given. The original IDW run began as an Ultimate Marvel styled-take on G1; updated but recognizable designs and with the silly elements of the original stripped out.

5 More Beast Wars: Transformers Comics

One of IDW's most recent Transformers comics was a retelling of Beast Wars, released in 2021 in time for the CGI series' 25th anniversary. Erik Burnham and Josh Burcham revisit the Maximals and Predacons, telling broadly the same story but with some new faces and different beats along the way.

4 Transformers Knightverse Tie-In Comics

The Michael Bay Transformers movies simultaneously brought Transformers new recognition and cast a stench of poor quality across the entire franchise. Fans had to look to tie-in material for good storytelling, particularly comics which fleshed out the history of the Bayverse continuity and filled in the gaps between installments.

3 Transformers: EarthSpark Tie-In Comics

The trailer for the next Transformers cartoon, EarthSpark, recently debuted. Premiering on Nickelodeon in Fall 2022, the series will introduce new characters – the first Cybertronians to be born on Earth – while also featuring old faces like Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and Elita-One.

2 Comics Revisiting The Unicron Trilogy

Between Beast Machines and Animated, Hasbro took a sabbatical from producing their own Transformers cartoons. From 2001 to 2007, Hasbro began importing Transformers anime and dubbing them. The rather average Car Robots/Robots In Disguise came and went, but the next three series were more well-remembered.

1 A Continuation Of Transformers Animated

Whether the next home of the Transformers is Skybound or someone else entirely, they will have one job right off the bat, and that's to earn goodwill. For one, the classic IDW continuity is often ranked as the peak of the Transformers fiction, leaving a mighty tough act to follow.

Who owns the rights to Transformers?

Look forward to yet another reboot in a once popular film franchise. Disney , who now owns the rights to Star Wars, Marvel, the Muppets and the Aglets (those plastic thingies on the ends of your shoelaces) have just announced that they have completed negotiations for the film rights to the Transformers, one of Hasbro's top toy properties. Hasbro, who has been making the majority of toys for many popular Disney licenses (including all of the franchises mentioned above, save for Aglets, which as we all know were purchased for the price of one grilled cheese sandwich by Quentin Tarantino back in 1842), have given Disney the rights to their popular Cybertronian characters including Optimus Prime, Megatron and all the other Autobots and Decepticons (except for Bumblebee; apparently toy collectors are sick and tired of the countless repaints and remolds of the same character over and over again) to begin a new cinematic universe based on the popular toyline. Disney appears to have much grander plans for the Transformers than Paramount had based on the following concept art which was leaked on Twitter recently and so far the fan response has been very positive:

What year is the Transformers movie set in?

The plot of the upcoming premier film, which is set in the year 1995 , will revolve around the Autobots discovering a large source of Energon, the fuel that Transformers need to survive, buried underneath Disneyland and it is up to Optimus and his band of Autobots to seize control of it before the evil Decepticons do, but they will need the help of long lost friends from their past previously thought to be extinct: Mickey Mouseatron and the Disney Princess Targetmasters.

Is Aglets vs Eyelets a blockbuster?

In related news, Quentin Tarantino's upcoming film "Aglets vs Eyelets" promises to be another independent action blockbuster, so look forward to that one when it hits theaters this Christmas.

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Overview

Development

For the first film, producer Don Murphy was planning a G.I. Joe film adaptation, but when the U.S. launched the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, Hasbro suggested adapting the Transformers franchise instead. Tom DeSanto joined Murphy because he was a fan of the series. They met with comic book writer Simon Furman, and cited the Generation 1 cartoon and comics as their main influence. They made the Creation Matrix their plot device, though Murphy had it renamed because of the fil…

Potential shared universe

In March 2013, during the release of G.I. Joe: Retaliation, producer di Bonaventura announced the studio's plans to develop a G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover. On July 26, 2013, G.I. Joe: Retaliation director Jon M. Chu stated that he is also interested in directing a Transformers/G.I. Joe crossover film. Despite di Bonaventura stating that a crossover was not in the immediate plans for the franchises, he acknowledged that it is something they intended to do. In July 2021, producer Di …

Short films

Released separately from the first film on home release in October 2007, on DVD as a Walmart Exclusive; the short is an animated prequel, presented in the form of a motion comic, with narration from the character Bumblebee. Mark Ryan provides the voice-over work for the roll, while the short depicts Megatron's arrival on Earth, as well as Archibald Witwicky's discovery 4 million years later. The short skips to 2003 with Bumblebee arriving on Earth, and Sector 7's pursuit of h…

Web series

A 13 episode long web mini series released in 2010 and set within and using the Transformers design from the continuity of the live action movies. It was released on Hasbro's website and in 2011 re-released on Transformers official YouTube channel. The series was made by TG Studios in only three months. It is set between the events of Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon.
Bumblebee's First Life on Earth (バンブルビー 初めての地球生活, Banburubī Hajimete no Chiky…

Reception

With the exception of Bumblebee, common elements of the original film series received negative reception, such as the repeated formulaic plots, acting, dialogue, filming, Transformer redesigns, sophomoric and toilet humor, female character objectification, the Transformers being reduced to secondary characters in their own films, clichéd and controversial characterizations, aimless story arcs, lack of character development, inconsistent tone, incoherent action, questionable marketing, …

Other media

In addition to the films, the film series has a promotional expanded series that is set both before and after the events of the films. This includes comic books, video games, and novels. While the novels are partially based on the films themselves, and the video games are not in the same continuity as the films, the comic books and graphic novels are in the same continuity and fill in several parts of the stories from the films. Also, Transformers: The Ride 3D is an amusement rid…

See also

• The Transformers: The Movie, a 1986 animated film based on the original TV series
• G.I. Joe film series (soon to be a shared cinematic universe with ROM, M.A.S.K., Visionaries and Micronauts)

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