In the previous timeline, Transformers had been a summer blockbuster. But in this world, after the added hype from the "Royal Bank of Scotland Heist" and the overnight success of "One Day" in North America, the movie premiered simultaneously in the U.S. and U.K. on December 1st—and immediately dominated the box office.
With an $80 million opening weekend, Transformers crushed the competition, including Sony's Godzilla, which was released around the same time.
Though some hardcore fans criticized the film for its significant deviations from the source material, Paramount's media empire quickly suppressed the backlash.
But the real surprise? Hasbro—usually content to stay in the background—stepped into the spotlight to champion the movie.
In just three days, Hasbro secured 200 promotional partnerships and helped market Transformers in 70 countries.
Behind the scenes, executives from General Motors, Panasonic, Burger King, and Pepsi could often be seen lending their support.
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Megan Fox, exhausted after a promotional event, slumped into her newly assigned company van. Before she could even take a sip of water, her manager excitedly shoved a letter and a legal document into her hands.
"Megan, your neighbor really came through for you. Not only did he list you as the second lyricist for 'One Day,' but he also donated the song's royalties under both your names!"
Megan's fatigue instantly evaporated, her face flushing with excitement.
The letter wasn't from Claire Lee—it was from UNICEF, thanking her for her generous donation to build a school for underprivileged children in Guinea.
The school would be named "Megan."
"Oh my God!" Megan jumped up, nearly hitting the van's ceiling. "Claire remembered! He promised me when we were kids that if he ever got rich, he'd build me a school!"
"This is huge for you," her manager gushed. "And let's be real—the guy's a genius. He just secured investment from YouTube's Chen Shijung and is worth millions now. If you play your cards right, this connection could skyrocket your career."
Megan's smile faltered as she stared at the royalty-free licensing agreement for "One Day."
Her fiancé, Brian Austin Green, had been making her life hell over Claire.
After the Royal Bank of Scotland heist scandal, Brian's reputation had tanked, costing him his job. But Megan stood by him, even using her limited industry connections to help him.
Instead of gratitude, Brian slapped her during an argument and then trashed her publicly to the media.
The backlash could've ruined her—if not for Spielberg's public support, Megan would've been drowning in bad press.
And yet… she'd done nothing wrong.
She hadn't even seen Claire when she went to Old Trafford—just got blocked by some busty woman and swarmed by fans and reporters.
But Brian refused to listen, hurling ugly accusations at her in private.
"I'm moving out," Megan suddenly announced. "If any gossip leaks, I'll need the company's help. I can't keep bothering Spielberg—last time we spoke, he said if not for Claire's boss pulling strings, I might've been cut from Transformers 2."
Her manager's eyes lit up instead of showing concern.
"Done. ICM might not be Paramount, but we can handle a little bad press. Actually… if you could get Beyoncé a song from Claire, your priority status at the company would skyrocket."
Seeing Megan's hesitation, the manager rushed to explain:
"Beyoncé's new studio has burned bridges with Warner Music. If she hadn't backed down on her song rights, Warner would've buried her. But now she can't approach them directly—so we need you to broker the connection."
"Even if it doesn't work out, DC Films will give you a major audition as a thank-you."
Megan's breath caught.
DC Comics under Warner Bros. was a money-printing machine—every movie or show they greenlit was a guaranteed hit.
And she'd heard Legendary Pictures had just secured the rights to a huge DC project.
"…What's the movie?"
"Jonah Hex. And the female lead? It's like it was written for you."
Megan opened her mouth—then closed it.
Her manager didn't wait. "I'll book your flight to the U.K. now. Claire's playing against Lille in the Champions League—if you get screen time, imagine the exposure!"
Megan hesitated, glancing out the window at Shia LaBeouf giving interviews.
Transformers had made him the breakout star.
She wanted her own franchise too.