Transformers Tap Walking Dead, Pacific Rim and Lost Writers For Brain Trust

Deadline is reporting that Akiva Goldsman has worked out who will join the Transformers Writers Room to work out the future of Transformers franchise. Akiva will head a team that is joined by Robert Kirkman (creator of The Walking Dead), Art Marcum & Matt Holloway (Iron Man), Zak Penn (Pacific Rim 2) and Jeff Pinkner (Lost, Amazing Spider-Man 2) to figure out a Transformers Cinematic Universe. The details of what they are planning remains unknown but the assumption is they will spend the next year working on story ideas that will then be handed off to either these writers or others to turn into movie scripts. I assume this includes Transformers 5 which has been pushed back a year to 2017 in hopes that Michael Bay will return to direct once he completes his current Benghazi related film.

The line up is solid as all have solid track records for creating or participating in world building which the franchise desperately needs. They also are pretty good at creating characters and adding character moments into their scripts which is an area that Transformers has suffered since the very first movie. I wish I saw at least one of the comic book writers in the room if only because they have proven to be unafraid of making the Transformers memorable as individual characters, with interesting back stories and a whole lot of excellent world building. Their origin for the war that includes the friendship of Optimus and Megatron and how it ends in open conflict that destroys worlds would provide plenty of fodder for a trilogy (and potential offshoots), especially if paired with an story set in the present. So what do you think of this writer's room?