Fans looking forward to seeing the upcoming Transformers prequel spinoff Bumblebee can see it nearly two weeks before it's released at select theaters. Participating audience members will also receive additional tie-in bonus content, as well as a toy inspired by the movie.

Set in 1987, Bumblebee is the first spinoff and prequel in the Transformers film franchise, focusing on the titular yellow robot in disguise. Bumblebee is on the run and ends up hiding out in a Californian junkyard - only to be discovered by a teenage girl named Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld). Believing it to be a rundown Volkswagen Bug, she takes Bumblebee home and quickly discovers that he is more than meets the eye. Also starring John Cena, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., John Ortiz, as well as the voices of Justin Theroux, Angela Bassett, and Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, Bumblebee is as much a story about self-discovery as it is a precursor to the entire massive Transformers film franchise. Now, fans have a shot at seeing the movie well before its theatrical release.

Paramount Pictures is giving fans in the US and Canada the opportunity to see Bumblebee on Saturday, December 8 - nearly two weeks before its release at select theaters. Anyone interested in seeing the movie first can purchase tickets online at participating theater box offices and ticketing sites, and can also take a more direct route via the official Bumblebee movie website. Showtimes for all early viewings on December 8 will take place at 7pm.


Along with the actual ticket for the early screening, fans will also get their hands on additional bonus content that ties in with the movie. However, Paramount has not revealed what specifically will be included with this content. And, while supplies last, anyone who purchases one of these early screening tickets will get their hands on a Transformers: Tiny Turbo Changers movie tie-in toy from Hasbro.

Bumblebee looks to be an exciting, if not inspired, direction for the Transformers franchise. After releasing five large-scale action blockbusters from director Michael Bay, Bumblebee appears to have been scaled down significantly, with the most noticeable inspiration stemming from movies like The Iron Giant and E.T. the Extra Terrestrial. Without having to fully reboot the franchise, the creative team behind Bumblebee has cleverly tackled the franchise with a more intimate and grounded approach. Bringing aboard a director like Travis Knight (Kubo and the Two Strings) and scaling down the screenwriting team to a single writer like Christina Hodson (she's also penning the upcoming Birds of Prey and Batgirl scripts) is just another example of how Bumblebee looks to be a solid outlier in the franchise.

Release Date:

  • Bumblebee (2018) release date: Dec 21, 2018