Izabella in Transformers: The Last KnightImage via Paramount Pictures
By
Rahul Malhotra
Published 1 hour ago
Rahul Malhotra is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.
He has been writing for Collider for over two years, and has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal to introduce audiences to a whole new world of cinema.
Swing and a miss > measured victory. Also, #JusticeForHan. (He/Him). Sign in to your Collider account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recapDirector Michael Bay admitted that he might have overstayed his welcome on the Transformers franchise, especially when Steven Spielberg had categorically advised him to back out after directing three movies, each more successful than the last. But when the studio offered him a massive sum to return, Bay simply couldn't say no. The fourth Transformers movie, a reboot starring Mark Wahlberg, grossed over $1 billion worldwide, signaling to Bay and Paramount that they were still good. But the fifth film ended up tanking with both critics and crowds, forcing the studio to go back to the drawing board. Transformers: The Last Knight is now heading to the Prime Video streaming service this December, where fans can re-watch Anthony Hopkins earn his paycheck as an exposition device (albeit a very fun one). It's also where you can see one of the earliest breakout roles of eventual Superman and The Last of Us star Isabela Merced.
Released in 2017 — a decade after the first Transformers film — The Last Knight grossed $605 million worldwide against a reported budget of $260 million. It was simultaneously the most expensive and the least successful movie of the franchise to that point, reportedly losing the studio as much as $100 million. The Last Knight was also critically reviled, and it remains the lowest-rated installment of the series on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The movie is now sitting at a 16% score on RT, where the critics' consensus reads, "Cacophonous, thinly plotted, and boasting state-of-the-art special effects, The Last Knight is pretty much what you'd expect from the fifth installment of the Transformers franchise."
The 'Transformers' Franchise Is in Limbo
Paramount rebooted the series with a prequel, titled Bumblebee. It marked the first film of the franchise to not be directed by Bay, with Travis Knight stepping in as director and immediately delivering the best reviews that the series had ever seen. Bumblebee grossed nearly $470 million against a reported budget of $135 million, inspiring Paramount to once again double down on the series. It was followed by the stand-alone sequel Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which grossed $440 million worldwide against a reported budget of $200 million. An animated prequel flopped last year, making just $130 million worldwide. Bay is reportedly circling a return to the series, now that the studio has new owners and leadership; meanwhile, a crossover with the G.I. Joe IP is also being contemplated. You can watch The Last Knight on Prime Video starting December 9, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Transformers: The Last Knight
Like PG-13 Action Adventure Sci-Fi Release Date June 21, 2017 Runtime 149 minutes Director Michael Bay Writers Ken Nolan, Art Marcum, Matt Halloway, Akiva Goldsman Producers Don Murphy, Ian Bryce, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Tom DeSanto Prequel(s) Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers: Dark of the Moon Sequel(s) Bumblebee, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Franchise(s) TransformersCast
See All-
Mark Wahlberg
Cade Yeager
-
Laura Haddock
Viviane Wembly
Expand
Collapse
-
Michael Bay
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.
Be the first to post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.Your comment has not been saved
Send confirmation emailThis thread is open for discussion.
Be the first to post your thoughts.
- Terms
- Privacy
- Feedback
2 hours ago
‘Hamnet’s Jessie Buckley Elevated the Most Controversial Season of This FX Anthology Crime Series
6 hours ago
The 10 Most Essential Sci-Fi Movies of the Last 100 Years, Ranked
3 hours ago
The Horror Classic That Launched a Vampire Franchise Bites Into a New Streaming Home Next Month
6 hours ago
Pixar's Billion Dollar Animated Franchise Surges Across Disney+'s Top 10
More from our brands
The Best Free Movies On Amazon Prime (April 2025)
Best New Movies To Watch On Streaming Right Now
The 50 Best Robot Movies Of All Time, Ranked
The Best Thrillers Streaming On Prime Video Right Now (March 2025)
Michael Bay's Transformers Return Will Make Or Break The Franchise's Future
Transformers’ Next Live-Action Movie Sounds Great But Is Not What The Franchise Needs Right Now
All Upcoming Transformers Movies Explained
What To Watch
July 20, 2025
The 72 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now
Trending Now
December Is a Perfect Month To Be a Matt Damon Fan
This Dark Fantasy Masterpiece Is Still Holding Strong on Letterboxd’s List of Top Shows
Tom Hanks’ Biggest Sleeper Hit Since ‘Greyhound’ Resurfaces on Streaming
