Will Transformers One Get a Sequel?
During a panel at BotCon 2025 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, director Josh Cooley delivered the disappointing news that many fans had been dreading. "I wish I had something to announce, but I do not," Cooley told attendees. "What I've been told is that Paramount Animation is not interested in making a sequel."
The announcement was met with audible boos and groans from the convention audience, reflecting the sentiment of fans who had hoped the film's critical success would translate into a franchise continuation.
Transformers One Trailer
Critical Success Wasn't Enough
Transformers One represented a creative high point for the franchise, earning widespread praise from critics and fans alike. The animated prequel, which explored the origins of Optimus Prime and Megatron's friendship-turned-rivalry on Cybertron, boasted a stellar voice cast including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, and Keegan-Michael Key.
Despite receiving positive reviews and being hailed by many as the best Transformers film in years, the movie's fate was ultimately sealed by cold, hard numbers at the box office.
Transformers One Box Office Reality Bites
The harsh reality behind Paramount's decision lies in Transformers One's underwhelming financial performance. The film managed to gross only $129 million worldwide against a reported production budget ranging between $75-147 million, making it a clear commercial disappointment.
To put this in perspective, the film opened domestically with just $24.6 million, placing second behind the third weekend of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Over its nine-week theatrical run, it accumulated $59.1 million domestically and $69.2 million internationally—numbers that fall far short of what studios expect from major franchise tentpoles.
Multiple Factors Doom the Franchise
Beyond poor box office performance, several industry factors have conspired against the continuation of the animated Transformers universe:
Hasbro's Financial Retreat: The toy giant has ceased all co-production agreements for film adaptations of their properties. This means studios must now shoulder 100% of production costs without Hasbro's financial partnership—a significant burden that previously helped share the risk.
Paramount's Financial Struggles: The studio is currently under considerable financial strain, partly due to the ongoing Paramount-Skydance merger being held up in political limbo. This uncertainty has made the company more risk-averse when it comes to greenlighting expensive projects.
Franchise Fatigue: The Transformers brand has been in decline for nearly a decade. Even under Michael Bay's direction, the franchise went from the billion-dollar success of Age of Extinction (2014) to the disappointing $600 million global take of The Last Knight (2017).
Director Moves On, Fans Left Behind
Adding insult to injury, Josh Cooley has already committed to his next project with Paramount Animation: an adaptation of the children's book I Eat Poop: A Dung Beetle Story. While Cooley expressed during the BotCon panel that he had ideas for a sequel and "it would have been cool" to make one, he's clearly moved on from the Transformers universe.
"I have ideas, too. So it would have been cool," Cooley said wistfully, before adding a glimmer of hope: "We'll see what happens. You never know."
What This Means for Transformers' Future
The cancellation of Transformers One 2 represents more than just the loss of a single sequel—it signals a broader uncertainty about the future of Transformers films at Paramount.
The studio's previously announced G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover movie has also gone silent, with no recent updates on its development.
Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura had previously stated that a sequel would happen if the first film was successful, and that the creative team already had "the beginnings of a really interesting story for the second one." Those plans now appear to be permanently shelved.
Transformers One joins the unfortunate ranks of quality films that couldn't translate critical success into commercial viability. While streaming numbers on Paramount+ could theoretically provide a lifeline for a lower-budget continuation, the reality is that this beautifully animated take on the Transformers universe will likely remain a standalone entry.
Disclaimer:
The views and information presented in this article are based on currently available sources and statements. Details such as release plans, and future projects are subject to change and may evolve over time. This content is intended for informational purposes only.
