Yep, you heard me 
Transformers: the rideIt's a good time to be a Transformers fan. The big screen adaptation of the cartoon franchise last year wasn’t a disaster, and probably helped boost the franchise a bit. While a sequel for the film is planned, it seems to be staying on the horizon, just out of reach, for the time being. But there are more than just movies in the works for the Transformers franchise, and if the new rumors prove true, fans may get to experience the wonder of the Transformers firsthand.
IESB is reporting the possibility that Paramount and Hasbro may be developing a Transformers based theme park ride. This wouldn’t be a roller coaster or a flight simulator, but (following the theme of “more than meets the eye”), a dark ride. For those who have made the journey to major theme parks, think The Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, or Dinosaur at Walt Disney World – although they could also be as simple as The Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Carribean. The idea is that you’re in a vehicle that travels through the dark ride, which presents scenes to you through lighting, animation, sound, etc.
The rumors surrounding the ride suggest it would probably be set after Transformers 2 (and before a possible Transformers 3), and story ideas are vague. Most likely it would feature a battle between the two factions (Autobots and Decepticons) at some point in the ride, although that’s speculation. The rumors seem to indicate some characters may die in the second film, and therefore wouldn’t be available to be placed in the ride, so even the characters are up in the air right now.
The ride is in the early stages of planning, with Paramount in talks with engineering firms to start development on it (so even that dark ride concept could change) and there’s no word where the ride might end up. Paramount owns several theme parks (King’s Island, King’s Dominion, and Carowinds), but has teamed up with the Walt Disney parks for other rides (such as the Indiana Jones series). I could also see Universal possibly wanting to get in on such a ride, which would fit their Universal Studios movie-based theme, although they are currently pretty tied up adapting part of their park to The World of Harry Potter.
Would you like to see a Transformers ride, with the possibility of transforming versions of the characters battling it out before your eyes? Or is this something better saved for the big screen, where digital effects can truly make the characters wondrous?
