Paramount, Hasbro Launch Early Bumblebee Access Screenings

Dylan O’Brien Will Voice Bumblebee in the Upcoming Movie

December 3, 2018

In an interview with IGN, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura has confirmed that Paramount Pictures‘ upcoming Transformers spin-off will be featuring BumbleBee speaking through his own voice for the first time after years of communicating through the radio. He also revealed that Maze Runner star Dylan O’Brien has officially signed on to voice the iconic titular Autobot.

“Dylan has that great quality in his voice of youthful exuberance, and also sort of trustworthiness,” di Bonaventura said. “I think those are the two qualities that we wanted Bumblebee to have.”

He also further explained the reason on why they have decided to finally give Bumblebee his own voice.

“Since we were approaching this as an origin story, we felt that it was appropriate that you got to hear his voice, that’s the simple logic that we employed. The longer term implication of that is different. But the short-term implication of that is, since we really are resetting the mythology, essentially, of who Bumblebee is. And so, that seemed to us to be the appropriate, to get the chance to hear what he sounds like.”

Directed by Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings), the film stars Hailee Steinfeld (Edge of Seventeen), Pamela Adlon (Better Things), John Cena (Daddy’s Home 2), Stephen Schneider (Comedy Central’s Broad City), Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Spider-Man: Homecoming), Jason Drucker (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul), Kenneth Choi (American Crime Story), Ricardo Hoyos (Degrassi: Next Class), Abby Quinn (Landline), Rachel Crow (Deidra & Laney Rob a Train), and Grace Dzienny (Zoo). Angela Bassett (Black Panther) will voice the cherry-red Plymouth Satellite Decepticon called Shatter, with Justin Theroux (The Spy Who Dumped Me) voicing Dropkick, the Decepticon who transforms into a blue AMC Javelin.

On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug.

The film is produced by Transformers franchise veterans Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Michael Bay, along with executive producers Steven Spielberg, Brian Goldner, and Mark Vahradian. Chris Brigham (Argo, Inception) will also executive produce. The screenplay is written by Christina Hodson (Unforgettable).

Bumblebee will be released in the U.S. on December 21, 2018.