Hailee Steinfeld Eyes 'Transformers' Spinoff 'Bumblebee'

By Justin Kroll, Variety

Hailee Steinfeld is in talks to star in Paramount’s Bumblebee, the first spin-off in the newly created Transformers universe for the studio.

Laika CEO Travis Knight will be making his directorial debut on the pic.

While plot details are still unknown, the story will focus on the popular character who has appeared in all of Michael Bay’s Transformers films. Details behind Steinfeld’s character are also being kept under wraps.

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Bay, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Brian Goldner, Stephen Davis, and Steven Spielberg are producing. Christina Hodson penned the script after joining the Transformers writers’ room last year, where the studio began fleshing out ideas for other movies contained in the Transformers universe, but not necessarily set along the franchise timeline.

Following her Oscar-nominated role in True Grit, Steinfeld has risen the ranks of leading ladies and this pic now marks her second potential franchise she will lead after joining the Pitch Perfect franchise. She is coming off strong reviews in STX’s The Edge of Seventeen, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

She can be seen next in Pitch Perfect 3.