How Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Director Steven Caple Jr. Turned 90s Cars Into Action Stars

Like them or not, ever since Michael Bay brought the Transformers franchise in live action to the big screen, the films have continued to earn mountains of cash. Eventually, the film series did take a dip with critics and audiences with Transformers: The Last Night. The franchise had a resurgence with 2018's Bumblebee, which brought a new director onboard and acted as a soft reboot for the series with a period story set in the 80s focused on a fan favorite character. 

Creed II director Steven Caple Jr. is the latest to join the blockbuster franchise and is helming the film Transformers: Rise of the Beasts . Where Bumblebee was set in the 80s, Rise of the Beasts jumps ahead to the 1990s. That provided Caple Jr. the opportunity to highlight some of the stand-out cars from that decade including a Porsche 911 RS 3.8 that plays a lead character named "Mirage," and a genuine Nissan R33 Skyline GT-R in a villainous role. 

Director Steven Caple Jr.

During the home stretch just before the film's release, MotorTrend spoke with Caple Jr. and learned about some of the challenges that surface while making a massive sci-fi film with rare vehicles that are also decades old. Generally speaking, vehicle-centric films require several copies of each car for different duties like stunts, close up shots, chases and more.

Porsche Helped

We wondered if the R33 Skyline GT-R and Porsche RS 3.8 made Caple Jr. 's job more difficult. "It did. It did big time ," said Caple Jr. "For the 911, Porsche helped out with that tremendously. They [Porsche] found the cars for us. What we ended up doing was, we actually rented two of the Porsches, and then we bought like the rest. So I think we had a total of maybe six Porsches. " 

Caple said among the six 911s used in the film, the two rentals were used for close up shots and other shots when the vehicle doesn't need to move. The rest were gutted and modified for chase sequences. One 911 in particular went through an unorthodox transformation—no pun intended.

Williamsburg Bridge Chase

"There's one we had to rig to make sure it could drive backwards. There's a car chase sequence in our film over the Williamsburg Bridge that is fully backwards with the Porsche 911. Someone had to fit inside the car in the backseat. "

"We had to gut out the backseat really close to the engine. He [the stunt driver] would control the car from there. So there was somebody in the back with the actual steering wheel controlling the vehicle while Anthony Ramos was in the front. As if the car was driving on its own, going backwards. "

Several R33 Skylines

What about the R33 Skyline? That is a notoriously difficult vehicle to acquire. While it can now be purchased legally in the United States, it requires a mountain of paperwork and going through a specialized importer. That type of red tape is not conducive to the fluid environment that is filmmaking. How did Caple Jr. and Paramount obtain several R33 Skylines for the film's production? Did they buy or rent them from private owners in America? Turns out the answer is a combination of things including building one a piece at a time.

Part By Part

"We bought whatever we could buy," Caple says. "I think we bought two and rented the other one and a half." Wait, "a half" of a Skyline? We needed him to elaborate.

"We built a lot of it from scratch," Caple says. "We got the foundation of the Skyline, and then we found different parts throughout production. I remember getting emails saying 'Guess what? We got this part, we got that part,' and everyone was so stoked."

Cusco, Peru

So, the crew figured out how to source rare vehicles but what about the stunts? Driving 30 to 40 year old cars in high speed situations seems like a recipe for problems. Especially considering that a major chase sequence was filmed on cobblestone streets in Cusco, Peru.

"There were moments in which if we injured the car in any way, we would have to stop production and finish off the next day," says Caple Jr. "We probably went through like, two cars that day [filming in Cusco] and then we would have to go find something else to shoot."

Unlucky Vehicles

We asked if there were any accidents on set due to pushing the aging cars to their limits but no person was ever harmed or in danger due to the expert stunt team. The vehicles however, weren't always so lucky. "We had to be very cautious," says Caple Jr. "But at a certain point, you kind of have to just ride 'em as they were meant to be ridden, you know?"

Freightliner Fright

"It's kind of like a boxing scene. It was like Creed. You hope no one gets punched in the face during an action sequence but someone will." The "someone" in this instance being vehicles like the Freightliner semi-truck that plays the ionic Optimus Prime. Though, as Caple Jr. tells it, ol' Optimus had a tough go of things occasionally. Caple Jr. said that the Freightliner truck had a especially difficult time on those cobblestone roads in Peru and it suffered a few breakdowns which leaked online.

"It broke out on the internet and people were making comments like 'Optimus is past his prime!' I was like 'that's the price we gotta pay for pushing these cars to their limit' but nothing dangerous. Our drivers were so damn good. "

In Theaters Now

Hearing that Caple Jr. pushed so hard with real vehicles and practical effects is a very good sign for a good time. If nothing else, seeing a Porsche 911 Carrera 3.8 fight a "ninja-like" Nissan R33 Skyline GT-R alone might be worth the movie ticket. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts hits theaters June 9th, 2023.

Transformers Camaro

Transformers Camaro

Transformers Off-Road Camaro

Transformers Off-Road Camaro

Transformers Off-Road Camaro

Transformers Off-Road Camaro

Transformers Ducati Motorcycle

Transformers Ducati Motorcycle

Transformers Ducati Motorcycle

Porsche 911 RS 3.8

Porsche 911 RS 3.8

Porsche 911 RS 3.8