STACK #224 June 2023

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Director Steven Caple Jr.

Words Glenn Cochrane

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and director Steven Caple Jr. kick the Transformers franchise into overdrive with Rise of the Beasts .

with Egyptian crews, Jordan crews, French crews, British, and Peruvian now,” says di

Bonaventura with a laugh. “Peru doesn’t have a big entertainment business, and they don’t have a lot of crew, but you are integrating as many of the locals as you can.” “The hardest place to shoot was in Peru,” admits Caple Jr., “and my favourite place to shoot was actually Peru. It was really cool, [but] the reason why it was hard to shoot was because on top of Machu Picchu - which is such a beautiful and amazing location - you had to get all the way up there and then deal with the altitude, and it was tough for the actors to act without running out of breath. And on top of that, we couldn’t bring much equipment up there.” Like the cast and crew

W hen producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura recalibrated the Transformers franchise with Bumblebee in 2018, he opened the door for new talent and fresh ideas. And although Michael Bay continues to serve as producer, the latest instalment is, indeed, a beast of its own. “Michael is there to help us, but he’s a director first,” says di Bonaventura, as he sits down to chat with STACK . “He comes to set, but he doesn’t spend a lot of time. And frankly,” he adds, in regards to producer-screenwriter-director Steven Caple Jr. taking the reins, “I don’t think any director would love to have another director of that significance sitting there on the set. There’s an awkwardness to that, and I don’t think it would be helpful to the filmmaking”. Caple Jr. reflects on having Bay on the sidelines, “He wasn’t intimidating at all. Actually, he was very helpful. I mean, the ‘Bayhem’ is real, in terms of creating chaotic imagery and action sequences, and I asked him for advice on that. But beyond that it was fun, like two kids or fans talking about film. But he wasn’t on set a lot”. Having previously created Creed II (2018) and The Land (2016), Caple Jr. isn’t an obvious choice of director for a film as big as Rise of the Beasts . “I do understand the ins and outs and nuances of carrying on a franchise,” says Caple Jr., referring to his experience with Creed II . “There was a lot of excitement behind it and I think it’s easier when you’re a fan, you know?”

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura

Says di Bonaventura of his colleague, “What I saw in Creed II was a guy who understood commercial filmmaking. And what I saw in all of his work was an emotionality, and a connection to character that was reflective of what we were trying to do with this movie. And the icing on the cake was that he’s a diehard Beast Wars fan,” he adds with amusement. Over the course of seven movies, the cast and crew have shot in all sorts of far away locations; Rise of the Beasts ups the ante by filming at Peru’s famed Machu Picchu citadel. “We’ve gotten to work

perched on top of the Andes, Rise of the Beasts promises to take our breath away, and we cannot wait to see what Caple Jr. and his team have pulled off.

INTO THE HASBROVERSE “We have absolutely talked about different kinds of crossovers. The trick is really trying to figure out how many characters a movie can hold. Fans have been arguing for a G.I. Joe and Transformers crossover, and we continue to talk about it.” - Lorenzo di Bonaventura

SOMETHING TO MARVEL AT Although the genre of robot anime was already popular in parts of Asia with Gundam , Zoids , and Macros , it was the Transformers that captured the imagination of children all over the world. Recognising the potential of the popular Japanese Micro Change and Diaclone toy lines, Hasbro purchased the rights, rebranded them, and hired Marvel Comics to create a new storyline. In fact, the first generation of Transformers took place on a prehistoric Earth, and was connected to the Marvel Universe; iconic characters like Nick Fury and Spider-Man appeared alongside Optimus Prime and Megatron in Marvel’s modern Savage Land.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is exclusive to cinemas on June 22

10 JUNE 2023

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