Paramount officially announces a spring release date for the Bumblebee Blu-ray, while also revealing the full list of special features available on the disc. Premiering in theaters this past December, the project was the first spinoff in the live-action Transformers film franchise that started back in 2007. In stark contrast from Michael Bay’s five installments (which were repeatedly panned by critics), Bumblebee ended up becoming Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Many were impressed with the film’s heart, which harkened back to classic Steven Spielberg films like E.T.
Sadly, the positive word-of-mouth did not help Bumblebee’s commercial prospects. Coming out against high-profile competition like the $1 billion hit Aquaman, Bumblebee struggled to make much of an impact at the box office. It grossed only $125.9 million domestically, the lowest total in the series to date. Thanks to its modest budget, Bumblebee was still profitable, however, paving the way for Paramount to move forward on a sequel. But before the studio concentrates on that, they’re handling the Bumblebee home media release, and now fans know when they can watch the film again.
Paramount announced Bumblebee will be available on digital March 19, 2019 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD April 2. The spinoff will also be part of a six-movie box set releasing April 2. Additionally, the studio shared the bonus content for the Blu-ray. Check out the full list in the space below:
- Agent Burns: Welcome to Sector 7 Sector 7 Adventures: The Battle at Half Dome (All-New Motion Comic) Deleted and Extended Scenes Outtakes Bee Vision: The Transformers Robots of Cybertron The Story of Bumblebee The Stars Align Bumblebee Goes Back to G1 Back to the Beetle California Cruisin’ Down Memory Lane
While it’s unfortunate there’s no commentary track from director Travis Knight, Bumblebee fans should have plenty to enjoy with these supplements. From the looks of things, the “Bringing Bumblebee to the Big Screen” section will be a comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, with various featurettes detailing different aspects. As a 1980s period piece, Bumblebee was noteworthy for taking the property back to its roots and using the G1 designs for the Transformers characters. It should be interesting to hear the filmmakers talk about that decision and what inspired them to go that route. The deleted and extended scenes will also be fun to check out (even though most of them were probably left on the cutting room floor for a reason) and the outtakes likely have a few laughs.
Ideally, Bumblebee will sell well on home media and add a substantial total to the project’s profit margin, encouraging Paramount that there is interest in a sequel. With the Star Trek film series now dead and the studio in some dire straits, Paramount is in need of additional tentpoles to complement Mission: Impossible (which has at least two more entries to go). The issues with Bumblebee’s performance stemmed more from its release window than film quality, so if Paramount finds a less competitive premiere date for the next one, perhaps it will do better.
More: Predicting Transformers’ Future After Bumblebee’s Box Office Troubles
Source: Paramount