How did friends become rivals? The Transformers venture into their past with “Transformers One.” This time, the popular franchise explores the backstories of Optimus Prime and Megatron. These legendary characters were not always enemies, instead existing side-by-side. The film takes a cue from the cult classic “The Transformers: The Movie” and opts for animation over live-action.
A first look during CinemaCon had the audience cheering. The clip showed Prime and Megatron first experimenting with their transformative powers. It also excited longtime fans by providing a glimpse of the character’s home world, Cybertron. “Transformers One” hails from director Josh Cooley, known for “Toy Story 4,” and filmmaker Steven Spielberg returns as one of the many executive producers, alongside some of the familiar ‘Transformers’ producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Tom DeSanto & Don Murphy, Michael Bay, Mark Vahradian, and Aaron Dem.
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The project features a myriad of talented performers. LongLongtimece of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen, does not reprise the role for ‘One.’ Instead, the project enlists a popular actor for the character’s younger self. Chris Hemsworth takes over voice actor duties for the future Autobot leader. He can also be seen in the upcoming “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” by director George Miller. Brian Tyree Henry lends his voice to Megatron. Tyree Henry is equally in demand, starring in “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” The actor also garnered an Academy Award nomination in 2023 for the film “Causeway.” “Transformers One” features the voice work of Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, and Steve Buscemi, with Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm.
Here’s the film’s official and relatively short synopsis:
This long-awaited origin story of how the most iconic characters in the TRANSFORMERS universe, Orion Pax and D-16, went from brothers-in-arms to sworn enemies, Optimus Prime and Megatron.
Paramount Animation and Hasbro, in Association with New Republic Pictures, presents “Transformers One.” The film premieres in theaters on September 13. Get your first look at the trailer below.