Watch: Trailer for Bumblebee solo film shows softer side of 'Transformers' franchise

WASHINGTON (Circa) — Surely you have a long list of questions about what Bumblebee’s life was like before Shia LaBeouf stumbled upon him in 2007's "Transformers." If so, some answers may finally be coming this December.

The first spinoff film from Michael Bay’s "Transformers" universe is on the way, and it’s got kind of an “E.T.” vibe. “Bumblebee,” directed by Travis Knight, follows the titular yellow Autobot at it is discovered by a teenage girl in the 1980s and learns to communicate, to care, and to hate Rick Astley music while being pursued by Decepticons and shadowy government operatives.

A trailer for “Bumblebee” hit the web on Tuesday morning, revealing a different, more bee-like design for the robot, which apparently used to transform into a dusty Volkswagen Beetle like its cartoon ancestor before upgrading to the shiny Camaro seen in Bay’s five Transformers films.

"Every adventure has a beginning," it promises.

The film comes at a rocky time for the franchise, following the disappointing performance of “Transformers: The Last Knight” in 2017, grossing just $605 million worldwide. The next entry in the series, which had been set for release in summer 2019, was recently pulled from the schedule by Paramount.

“Bumblebee,” starring Hailee Steinfeld and John Cena, is scheduled to hit theaters on December 21.