Skip to main content

Oscar nominee among the early cast members for first Transformers spinoff

If Transformers: The Last Knight can have a cast that collectively accounts for five Academy Award nominations for acting and one win, then anything’s possible for the Bumblebee movie’s cast — which continues to grow after adding its own Oscar nominee.

Deidra & Laney Rob a Train actress Rachel Crow is the latest to join the Transformers spinoff film’s cast, which already includes Brigsby Bear and Spider-Man: Homecoming actor Jorge Lendeborg Jr. and Oscar-nominated True Grit and The Edge of Seventeen actress Hailee Steinfeld. Crow is in talks for a key role alongside stars Steinfeld and Lendeborg, according to the initial, unconfirmed report from Tracking Board.

One of the most popular robot characters in Michael Bay’s live-action Transformers franchise, Bumblebee famously transformed into a yellow Volkswagen Beetle in his original, cartoon incarnation, but turns into a Chevrolet Camaro (also yellow) in Bay’s movies. The still-unofficially titled Bumblebee movie is expected to be a prequel to Bay’s films, exploring the title character’s adventures in the ’80s, before the events of the live-action movies.

The characters played by Steinfeld, Lendeborg, and — if talks are finalized — Crow are all unknown at this point. The film is currently set to be directed by Travis Knight, who’s best known for his stop-motion animation work and directing last year’s critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated feature Kubo and the Two Strings. The script for the Bumblebee movie comes from Christina Hodson, who previously penned the scripts for the 2016 thriller Shut In and 2017’s Unforgettable. Hodson also serves as a producer on the film along with Bay, Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner, Stephen Davis, Lorezo Di Bonaventura, and Steven Spielberg.

Across five live-action films, the Transformers movie franchise has collectively earned $1.4 billion in U.S. theaters and $4.2 billion worldwide. The most recent installment of the franchise was this year’s Transformers: The Last Knight, which has earned $120.7 million domestically so far and $504.1 million worldwide, making it one of the lowest-grossing films in the series.

With he Bumblebee movie scheduled to hit theaters June 8, 2018, more updates on the project are likely to be announced in the near future, as cameras will need to begin rolling soon.

Editors' Recommendations

Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
Where to watch Magic Mike’s Last Dance
Channing Tatum and Salma Hayek stand in a theatre lobby together in Magic Mike's Last Dance.

In 2012, the world of male stripping took center stage in Magic Mike. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Magic Mike stars Channing Tatum as Mike Lane, an aspiring entrepreneur who works odd jobs as a handyman during the day. At night, Mike comes alive as a male stripper, wowing the club with his innate charm and attractive dance moves. With a budget of $7 million, Magic Mike became an instant hit, grossing over $167 million worldwide. The film spawned a 2015 sequel, Magic Mike XXL, which also became a box-office success, grossing $122 million against a $12 million budget.

To complete the trilogy, Tatum graced the stage as Mike Lane one final time in Magic Mike's Last Dance. Originally supposed to be released exclusively to streaming, Warner Bros. opted to give the third film a theatrical release in February 2023. While the film struggled in theaters (it only grossed $57 million), Magic Mike's Last Dance will now get the chance to find another audience on streaming.
Where to watch Magic Mike’s Last Dance

Read more
The Digital Trends guide to FAST streaming services
Amazon Freevee.

When you talk about the best streaming services, you typically talk about video-on-demand (VOD) services like Netflix. Or Disney+. Or Amazon Prime Video. Or Hulu. And for good reason — they have a ton of paying subscribers. Netflix alone is closing in on a quarter-billion. Disney+ is about halfway there.

And while the numbers drop off a good bit from there, another flavor of streaming should constitute a good bit of the discussion. FAST services — that's the industry acronym for free advertising-based streaming television — continue to grow both in numbers and in popularity. Think of FAST like the streaming version of broadcast TV, or your cable box. Shows are on at the same time for everyone, and everyone is watching the same thing, with ads. Only unlike YouTube TV or Hulu With Live TV, you don't have to pay anything upfront. It's all supported by advertising — you just don't get the "good" channels like you will on the paid services.

Read more
The best shows on Amazon Prime right now (June 2023)
Three people stand in a crowd, looking at something shocked in a scene from With Love on Amazon Prime Video.

Amazon Prime Video is quickly solidifying its position in the streaming TV race with plenty of great TV shows. Some have already ended their long runs, like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which wrapped up recently after five seasons. Others continue to run with new seasons, including With Love, which returns this week for season 2, and shows like Jack Ryan, which is returning for season 4.

There are always new shows coming to Amazon, too, but with so many great ones still available to stream and others returning with new seasons, it's the perfect time to look through what's available and check out a show you haven't watched yet. There's plenty that could be on your radar, including those on our list of the best shows on Amazon Prime right now.

Read more