Summary
- Dutch cosplayer Lonneke van Duijnhoven spent a year creating a screen-accurate Bumblebee costume using EVA foam, with working hands and light-up headlights and eyes.
- Despite negative comments from online trolls, van Duijnhoven’s impressive cosplay won over convention attendees.
- Bumblebee’s popularity has grown since his introduction in the 1980s, with a 2018 solo film earning a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Michael Bay may have relied on CGI to bring Bumblebee to life in the movie Transformers, but one cosplayer was able to do it completely in the physical realm, with one of the most impressive costumes you’ll ever see. In an incredible video posted to Instagram, Dutch cosplayer Lonneke van Duijnhoven documented her journey in bringing the fan-favorite Autobot to life. It took a year of work to pull it off, but the costume looks absolutely screen-accurate to the character’s appearance in the solo film Bumblebee.
Van Duijnhoven, known as Lon Cosplay on social media, used EVA foam to create the bulky pieces of the costume, allowing for texture, freedom of movement, and ease when it comes to painting and design. In the video, she states the process of creating the costume took over 700 hours and a year of work. Even more impressive are the working hands and face, with light-up eyes, which require some impressive mechanical and electrical skills.
The costume is based on the live-action Bumblebee seen first in the Michael Bay films, beginning in 2007. Bizarrely, Van Duijnhoven admits in another Instagram post that she has received negative comments from online trolls who said she “shouldn’t waste a year of her time on a cosplay project.” She responded by saying the comments actually motivated her to keep going. For fans who truly appreciate the work, however, the results are worth the effort. She said:
“Got lots of hate on my Bumblebee cosplay because I could spend my time better…No I could not. I prefer crafting above watching tiktoks, tv etc…even the hate motivates me to go further and crazier. I hope I can inspire people one day and help them with their crafting projects.”
Last month, Van Duijnhoven entered the cosplay contest at AnimeCon in the Netherlands, wowing the crowds with her demonstration in a video included in another post. Somehow, her cosplay did not win first place, but the reaction from the crowd spoke volumes.
Bumblebee Continues to Be a Favorite Among Transformers Fans
While Bumblebee has always had a strong following since his 1980s introduction in toys, comics, and cartoons, the live-action films only solidified his popularity. The first live-action Transformers made Bumblebee a central character, befriending Shia LaBeouf’s Sam and gaining a new generation of fans, and he would be a key character in the four sequels that followed.
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While later films in the series didn’t impress critics, Bumblebee spun off with a self-titled solo film in 2018, which earned a 90% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Directed by Travis Knight, Bumblebee starred Hailee Steinfeld as Charlie, a girl in 1987 who finds Bumblebee in a junkyard and gets him fixed, just in time to fight a group of Decepticons intent on destroying him. The film grossed nearly $468 million worldwide, alongside its positive response from critics.
Although the film was well-received by both critics and fans, its box office was below what past Transformers films had grossed, making the possibility of a direct sequel unlikely. Bumblebee would appear again in 2023’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which opens the door for a new direction for the film series. The character will also appear in the animated prequel Transformers One, due for release in September.
Bumblebee
is currently streaming on Paramount+.
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