TF4 - 2014

[Hursticon]

Then again this is a Bay thread but he seems to be more into butt shots.

And I thank him all the more for that.

That's not entirely true. Most of the money would have been pocketed by Michael Bay and Paramount/Dreamworks. Yes, Hasbro would also make a handsome earnings on the side because of royalties/licensing for using the Transformers names, images etc. - but I don't know if I'd call that "direct funnelling." <shrug>

Also...
+ Masterpiece came out long before the movie (2004)
+ Classics also started before the movie (2006)
+ While Animated came out after the first movie, it was conceived/developed before it. Animated was to be Hasbro's "back up" in case the first movie flopped.
+ Alternity <---as a TakaraTOMY developed line, I really don't know how much movie earnings from Hasbro would have gone into this. I would be surprised if Hasbro split their earnings with TakTOM.

Oh yeah Goki, there's no doubt that the largest proportion of returns would've been directed at Michael Bay, the Actors, Paramount & Dreamworks but of that pie Hasbro (As you say) would've definitely made a nice return for themselves and after shareholders have taken their part the rest I'm sure would've gone into R&D.

So whilst most of the money would've gone else where, funds still would've definitely been directly designated for R&D IMO.

• Whilst the Masterpiece line certainly was in production before the movies, funds still would've flown onto the line in the cases of MP-9, MP-10 & MP-11.
• Indeed, the 'Classics' line was made during the production of the 1st film but the Universe 2.0, Generations & Reveal The Shield would've certainly been beneficiaries.
• Again; whilst it would've initially been funded prior to the movie, Animated by the end of it's run was sure to have received financial benefits derived from said earnings but unfortunately for it and Hasbro - Cartoon Network execs are D***s.
• Being that HasTak are so intertwined with their most profitable major property, I'd be very surprised indeed if the Japanese blokes didn't receive their due for the IPs they created - In a lot of ways Hasbro is just a bloated marketer for TakTom IMO, as most of the work on the toys are done by the Japanese and as evidence you only need to compare TFs with Starwars TFs; the later of whom have definitely been confirmed to be developed by Westerners at Hasbro.

[Demonac]

That's not entirely true. Most of the money would have been pocketed by Michael Bay and Paramount/Dreamworks. Yes, Hasbro would also make a handsome earnings on the side because of royalties/licensing for using the Transformers names, images etc. - but I don't know if I'd call that "direct funnelling." <shrug>

Brian Goldner is listed as the executive producer of all 3 TF movies (as well as Rise of Cobra). Hasbro probably made more profit from the box office take than from the toys.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

And I thank him all the more for that.

I've gotta admit, I enjoyed the first Carly shot in DotM. Pity about the rest of the movie.

OK, Sentinel Prime was cool too.

[GoktimusPrime]

Brian Goldner is listed as the executive producer of all 3 TF movies (as well as Rise of Cobra). Hasbro probably made more profit from the box office take than from the toys.

Fair point. I'm still not sure about them sharing those profits with TakaraTOMY though.

[griffin]

I think TakaraTomy are getting the short end of the stick these days. They do the work with design/complex-engineering, and "own" the management of the outsourced, 3rd party Chinese factories on behalf of Hasbro, but it would appear that Hasbro has control over whatever the factories produce because retail prices (and obviously wholesale prices) in Japan are as high as they are here... So TT do all the work designing and getting the toys built, but Hasbro owns the physical product to actually sell to TT and the non-US Hasbro branches (which they do at more than twice the price they sell to their own US retailers, to make more commission-per-unit, out of foreign sales than they do from domestic sales). Which makes more work for those non-US markets/Branches to sell the Brand to retailers at that higher cost.

That's a pretty sweet arrangement for US Hasbro - they manage their Brand's direction and make the millions each year, but it's other bodies, before and after they get their hands on the toy-products, that do all the "heavy lifting" to give consumers & fans these toys.

[kup]

Brian Goldner is listed as the executive producer of all 3 TF movies (as well as Rise of Cobra). Hasbro probably made more profit from the box office take than from the toys.

I think this is true. As far as the movies are concerned, the toys appear to be little more than merchandising. This is a reverse from past history in which the media was there as support from the toys which were the main factor.

Bay and the studios may have gotten a huge cut from the movie but Hasbro still profited immensely.

[Magnus]

I know I'm more than a bit late to this discussion, but I'm actually looking forward to Transformers 4.

While a different PoV (the 'reimagining') should be interesting for a change of pace or tone, I'm glad it's not going to be a reboot, especially so soon after the third movie. (I was never really a fan of the trend of rebooting franchises - it seems like an 'easy way out', in my opinion). Also, I'm actually quite fond of the movie design aesthetic, which a reboot could potentially change.

[Doubledealer]

I think it's wrong for Michael Bay to be directing this film if it is indeed a reboot. If everything else is different, why shouldn't the director change too? I believe it should be someone else's interpretation of the Transformers universe, not this idiots second chance draw...

[kup]

I know I'm more than a bit late to this discussion, but I'm actually looking forward to Transformers 4.

While a different PoV (the 'reimagining') should be interesting for a change of pace or tone, I'm glad it's not going to be a reboot, especially so soon after the third movie. (I was never really a fan of the trend of rebooting franchises - it seems like an 'easy way out', in my opinion). Also, I'm actually quite fond of the movie design aesthetic, which a reboot could potentially change.

Since Michael Bay is coming back I think that it's clear what to expect.

[kristofferrer]

Sigh! I'm not a fan of bay movies, I can sit through the first one every now and then, I have watched ROTF twice and that was one time too many and haven't even bothered with a DVD of the DOTM movie or seen it again as I'm sure it'll make me ill. I'm not going to rant and rave and refuse to see the next movie as I'm sure I will, This doesn't mean I think it's going to be any good it just means I'm a glutton for punishment and OCD where TF's are concerned

Im in agreement - its not really a reboot if it's still directed by bay.
it's clear after his TF trilogy than he can't improve over his own work, nor does he understand what comprises a good movie.

It pains to watch the movie when there's evidence that Hasbro/etc is very capable of producing quality work. There's other TF series like animated and prime with fantastic plots, scripts and cinematography.

We're indeed devoted fans - we'd still watch the crap that bay produces. Perhaps Hasbro/produces interpreted this as the go signal for making profit.

Being fan