Skydance is set to take control of Paramount, and the crew thinks the Transformers movies are safe in the hands of a film-minded owner. TFRaw.com shares rare Beast Machines production documents, and Transformers One toys start reaching US shelves. Takara Tomy shows MPG-13 Shattered Glass Jetfire and the Bingo Sports Optimus Prime that Diecast wants. In What We Got This Week, Chris delivers a Frasier parable on Titan Class Tidal Wave, while Matt loves his.

News

Paramount to Merge With Skydance

Skydance, run by the son of Larry Ellison, reached an $8 billion deal to merge with and effectively run Paramount. Brian called it close to a best-case scenario, since the buyer makes movies and is passionate about film. He does not expect it to change anything for Transformers or G.I. Joe. One host noted that a future Transformers TV series could land elsewhere if the new Paramount passes. The crew agreed everyone is gun-shy after the Warner Bros. Discovery merger. [Source: AP News]

TFRaw Shares Beast Machines Production Documents

TFRaw.com shared Beast Machines production documents, including the Beast Hunters concept draft, the writers’ bible and the season two story arc guide. One host skimmed the Beast Hunters treatment and found that much of it survived into Beast Machines, though the structure and framing changed. He loves seeing how the sausage was made 25 years ago. [Source: TFRaw]

Transformers One Mainline Wave 1 Prime Changers and Cog Changers Found at US Retail

Transformers One Prime Changers and Cog Changers turned up at Meijer, and Robot Battlers at Target. One host is up for some Prime Changers, the Deluxe-adjacent line, once they reach Walmart. The crew described Meijer as a Midwestern Target. [Source: TFW2005]

Transformers One Panel at SDCC Confirmed

Transformers One will have an SDCC panel, likely with new preview clips, and Lorenzo di Bonaventura will attend. One host wants to see the movie but needs no toys. Several hosts find it hard to get excited seven or eight movies in. One host argued that notoriously bad beats mediocre, and another said he loves Revenge of the Fallen. [Source: TFW2005]

Overwatch 2 x Transformers Collab Full Reveal

Transformers are coming to Overwatch 2, the free-to-play shooter, mostly as character skins plus a webcomic and an animated trailer. One host said the trailer is nicely done, even if the story means little to someone who has not played much Overwatch. [Source: TFW2005]

Mark Maher Shows Package Refresh Metalhawk In Hand

Mark Maher posted in-hand photos of the package refresh Metalhawk. The grays are darker, the blues more saturated and the gold a bit shinier, and he cautioned not to expect deco tweaks on future refreshes. One host thinks the original would look faded beside it. It is not enough to buy twice, but if you lack Metalhawk, this is an excellent figure. [Source: Mark Maher on Instagram]

Project T-Spark Adamas Machina AMT-01 Rodimus Official Stock Images

Stock photos show the Project T-Spark AMT-01 Rodimus, an IDW-styled figure. One retailer has it at $220, and the Japanese price converts to about $190 plus shipping. One host says Transformers Cloud Rodimus is close enough for him. That led Brian to mention he is cutting his GDO toys as he downsizes for his new house. [Source: TFW2005]

Transformers Masterpiece MPG-13 Shattered Glass Jetfire Revealed

Takara Tomy revealed MPG-13 Shattered Glass Jetfire. Don already has the Commander Class version, hated Masterpiece Skyfire and says he is done with Masterpiece. Diecast is passing at around $300 unless it goes on sale. [Source: TFW2005]

Takara Tomy Project T-Spark Preorders and Stock Images

New stock images cover Bingo Sports Optimus Prime, 40th Selection Bumblebee and MPG-12 Shattered Glass Optimus Prime. Diecast loves the Bingo Sports car on the Crosshairs mold and will keep it in car mode. It appeared on Amazon Japan for about $40 but looks sold out. 40th Selection Bumblebee is a redeco of MPM-3. [Source: TFW2005]

Beast Wars ReAction Shadow Panther Found at Target

ReAction Shadow Panther turned up at Target for $20.49. The crew called that price insane for a ReAction figure and expects them to sit until clearance. [Source: TFW2005]

Yolopark AMK Pro G1 Nemesis Prime Revealed

Yolopark revealed an AMK Pro G1 Nemesis Prime with glossy black paint. Diecast wants it badly but worries it is too limited to get. [Source: TFW2005]

What We Got This Week

Chris

Chris got Titan Class Tidal Wave and explained it through a Frasier parable: if less is more, just think how much more more will be. It is accurate to the Armada cartoon colors and rigid once assembled. But the battleship mode is too big to display, and the troop lander falls apart. The Mini-Con benches and flight deck elevator are gone, and it cannot transform directly from battleship to robot. He says he would have canceled his preorder had he handled one first.

Don

Don’s Tidal Wave arrived today for a bit under retail, thanks to an influencer code and free shipping from Entertainment Earth. On Chris’s homework assignment, he reviewed Masterpiece Movie Series Brawl. Don calls it one of the most solid Masterpieces he has handled, complicated but sensible, with everything tabbing into place. He also got Fans Hobby Skyflame, an Armada Jetfire homage that looks great despite one-way locks. A birthday gift card from his aunt went to the Yolopark AMK Pro Megatron.

Diecast

Diecast got Comic Edition Shockwave with Optimus Prime’s head on a stand, and he likes the comic shading. Studio Series 86 Bumblebee is okay, though the legs look odd. He prefers the Lego Bumblebee, about $90, to the Lego Optimus Prime and found its car mode cool. He also got a 40th anniversary G1 Blaster for $20 at Walmart. GameStop’s buy one, get one 40 percent off sale netted him two Party Wallops.

Matt

Matt also got Titan Class Tidal Wave and likes it more than Chris does. He agrees the missing play features hurt, but it is poseable, chunky and in the right colors. Matt calls it the big purple Tidal Wave he wanted, though he may be done with Titans for lack of shelf space.

Rob

Rob finally got Studio Series 86 Snarl from Big Bad Toy Store. He calls it a lovely, solid toy that is fun to transform, especially the clever arm-to-leg engineering.

Brian Kilby

Brian got the Deluxe Insecticons Barrage and Chop Shop but has not had time to open them. He also got Studio Series 86 Swoop early from CMD Store. He calls it his least favorite of the five Dinobots, lighter in mass than the rest, and wishes it were red.

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