Betting that the world has appetite for at least eight “Transformers” movies, Hasbro recently said that three additional films in the series are coming: in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
The next installment, which has already been announced, is being directed by Michael Bay and will star Mark Wahlberg, according to Hasbro Chief Executive Officer Brian Goldner, who gave a presentation to investors recently. The 2018 movie will focus on the films’ Bumblebee character, while the 2019 sequel will be a general “Transformers” story, he said. They’re all slated for June releases.
Hasbro, the second-largest U.S. toymaker, released the Transformers products in the 1980s and built them into an entertainment franchise, thanks in large part to the films. Paramount Pictures has produced the “Transformers” series.
Keeping Hasbro’s brands in the spotlight is important to the toymaker because it makes a higher profit margin from toys based on its own properties rather than from licenses, such as “Star Wars.” The company will expand this movie strategy to its My Little Pony brand with a film in 2017, and there’s a movie based on Play-Doh in development.
