John Cena Joins ‘Transformers’ Spin-Off ‘Bumblebee’

The newly announced Transformers spin-off Bumblebee has cast WWE superstar John Cena in a key role according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The 40-year-old professional wrestler turned actor was recently quoted as saying that his role in the WWE was coming to an end, with his recent television and film appearances being clear indicators as to where he wishes to take his career following life between the ropes. Currently on the big screen in Doug Liman’s The Wall, co-starring Golden Globe-winner Aaron Taylor-Johnson (who was announced for Netflix’s Outlaw King last week), Bumblebee becomes the latest in a spate of announcements regarding Cena’s casting on a number of high profile productions set to be released in the coming years.

The Bumblebee spin-off will be set in the 1980s as Paramount looks to capitalise on recent popular pieces set in the time period, such as Netflix’s original show ‘Stranger Things’, and will star a plethora of youthful talent headlined by Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit; The Edge of Seventeen; Pitch Perfect 2).

It is not yet known which central character John Cena will personify, but the film has already been announced to be being written by Shut In screenwriter Christina Hodson and will be directed by Laika Animation lead and Kubo and the Two Strings director Travis Knight.

The Transformers IP is a multi-billion dollar film franchise for Paramount Pictures and one of the world’s best-selling merchandise movers, but with regular director Michael Bay (Armageddon) exiting the project, Bumblebee will be the first in the live-action line-up to not centre on the war between the autobots and decepticons, and will be the first to feature a period setting.

The Bumblebee movie will be released on December 21st 2018, the same weekend as DC/Warner Bros movie Aquaman starring Jason Momoa.

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