Transformers One Release Date, Cast, Plot, And More Details
The next big "Transformers" movie on the docket is a major blast from the past. After the release of Steven Caple Jr.'s live-action effort, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," in 2023, the beloved living mech franchise is set to return to its roots with a brand-new theatrical animated movie: "Transformers One." The film is the first animated "Transformers" flick to get a worldwide theatrical release since 1986's "The Transformers: The Movie," nearly 40 years ago.
While there's still some time left until the release of "Transformers One," there are already plenty of details about the project that should excite fans of the franchise. Between a star-studded voice cast of A-list actors and a narrative that explores the origins of several fan-favorite Autobots and Decepticons, the animated feature is shaping up to be a bold reinvigoration of the IP that answers some long-held questions. Here's everything we know about the movie so far.
When will Transformers One be released?
Fortunately, fans won't have to wait too long following the release of "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" to get their next theatrical "Transformers" fix. If current plans stay intact, "Transformers One" will premiere in theaters on September 13, 2024. Paramount previously pushed the movie's debut back with a delay of just under two months — it was originally slated for July 19, 2024 — likely due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.
At the same time, it's important to consider that the release of "Transformers One" could potentially be impacted by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. While it remains to be seen whether the strike might affect the production timeline of the film, other animated films have had their release scheduling impacted by the strike, including major projects like Sony's "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse," which was delayed indefinitely from its original March 2024 date.
What is the plot of Transformers One?
"Transformers One" is set to be a unique turn for the franchise since it's actually a prequel to the vast majority of "Transformers" films that have come before it. The movie serves as an origin story for two of the most powerful Transformers, Optimus Prime and Megatron, focusing on their upbringing on the robotic planet Cybertron and the development of their complex relationship as they shift from trusted allies to vicious enemies.
In an interview with Deadline, Paramount Animation president Ramsey Naito spoke about how Cybertron — which has long since been ravaged and destroyed by the time of the live-action "Transformers" films — will be a major element of the film. "What I understand fans have always been interested in is knowing more about their backstory and knowing about Cybertron; and in live-action, let's face it, it would be a very hard thing to create," she explained. "In animation, it's a perfect thing to create because in animation everything is created."
Of course, the setting will also be in service of developing Optimus Prime and Megatron as characters, and they'll undergo quite a sprawling arc in the film as they find themselves questioning the societal structure of their home planet. "It's not a coming-of-age story," producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura told Collider. "I would say they're young men who are finding their path."
Who is starring in Transformers One?
The cast list for "Transformers One" is absolutely stacked, with recognizable names from throughout the industry, including a couple of major Marvel alumni. Rather than carrying over the actors from the live-action "Transformers" films, including Peter Cullen's Optimus Prime, this new animated movie features an entirely new voice cast. Leading the charge are Chris Hemsworth ("Thor") and Brian Tyree Henry ("Eternals"), who will voice Optimus Prime and Megatron, respectively. The pair is joined by Scarlett Johansson ("Black Widow") as Elita, Keegan-Michael Key ("The Predator") as Bumblebee, Jon Hamm ("Mad Men") as Sentinel Prime, and Laurence Fishburne ("The Matrix") as Alpha Trion.
While the cast hasn't said too much about the film yet, several of its members have indicated their excitement to be part of the project. Johansson said in an interview with Collider that she was extremely impressed by the animation work of the film, which is being done by Industrial Light and Magic. "I think it's a different way of approaching this IP," she said. "I think it stands on its own, it's pretty exciting." Meanwhile, Hemsworth himself spoke to Collider about how he was drawn to the role. "It looks incredible," he said. "I love the script. It was one where I was not sure. I hadn't done animation before, and then I mentioned [it] to my kids, and they went, 'Oh yeah, that's awesome.'"
Who is directing Transformers One?
"Transformers One" is being directed by Josh Cooley, who's no stranger to the world of animation. In fact, he's worked on a number of Pixar movies. Most notably, he directed and co-wrote 2019's "Toy Story 4" and wrote the screenplay for 2015's "Inside Out," although he also contributed to the storyboarding of "The Incredibles," "Cars," "Ratatouille," and "Up."
Cooley has worked with several of the main actors of "Transformers One" before, having directed Keegan-Michael Key in "Toy Story 4" and collaborated with Scarlett Johansson for the upcoming film "Tower of Terror." In her interview with Collider, Johansson spoke positively about working with Cooley on "Transformers One," saying of the script, "Because Josh wrote it, it just feels very... I don't know, it's got a very dramatic feeling about it. It's funny, but it's got so much heart to it like all of his stuff does."
Who is writing and producing Transformers One?
"Transformers One" features quite a bit of talent behind the scenes in terms of its writers and producers. Although Scarlett Johansson's comments to Collider indicate that director Josh Cooley has contributed to the scriptwriting process to some extent, officially, the list of writers working on the film's screenplay includes "Ant-Man and the Wasp" duo Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari and "Knock at the Cabin" collaborators Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman.
The list of executive producers for "Transformers One" draws heavily from the franchise's live-action efforts. Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who has served as an executive producer on all previous live-action "Transformers" films, is returning once again. He is joined by fellow executives Valerii An, Bradley J. Fischer, Brian Goldner, and Brian Oliver, all of whom also executive produced "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts."
It's a similar situation on the producer front. Michael Bay, who has directed numerous "Transformers" flicks, is in the producer's chair this time around. Returning producers also include Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Don Murphy, and Mark Vahradian. The only newcomer is Aaron Dem, who is better known for his visual effects work.
Is Transformers One part of a cinematic universe?
With "Transformers One" exploring a fresh chapter of the "Transformers" universe, some fans may be wondering whether it's set in continuity with previous films in the franchise or setting out to do its own thing. Unfortunately, the exact answer to that question is decidedly unclear at the moment.
While "Transformers One" appears to carry over a lot of the creative blood from the live-action "Transformers" films, it seems that it is being set up as more of a general prequel — one that draws from the franchise's rich tapestry of media to tell a story that might roughly fit into various continuities. Of course, the live-action "Transformers" films already have an issue with maintaining canon, such as with most of the films ignoring the Maximals of "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," so a few discrepancies here and there probably won't bar the new animated movie from slotting in well enough.
What's also telling is that the creative team behind "Transformers One" thinks of the movie as the start of a new series of films in itself. "We're hoping that there is enough emotional construct to that, that would lead to a trilogy of it because, personally, I think there's a natural trilogy," Lorenzo di Bonaventura said in his interview with Collider.
What to watch before seeing Transformers One
Based on the fact that "Transformers One" hasn't been confirmed to solely exist in continuity with the live-action "Transformers" franchise, it can be reasonably assumed that it can be enjoyed and understood without the need to watch every "Transformers" movie that has come before it. However, that's not to say that there's no benefit to watching a couple of them prior to the new animated feature.
Seeing as "Transformers One" heavily focuses on the relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron, it's worth exploring a bit of the history of that dynamic. As such, fans might want to make sure they've seen a number of the earlier live-action "Transformers" films before jumping into this one. More specifically, the first five entries, from 2007's "Transformers" to 2017's "Transformers: The Last Knight," detail a lengthy arc involving the war between Optimus Prime's Autobots and Megatron's Decepticons.
Where to watch previous Transformers films
Those who want to watch the live-action "Transformers" movies in preparation for "Transformers One" are unfortunately going to need to hop across a few services in order to do so. Although all seven films can be rented or purchased on storefronts like iTunes or Amazon Prime, it's far more hit-and-miss on the streaming service front.
While Paramount+ hosts 2011's "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," 2014's "Transformers: Age of Extinction," 2018's "Bumblebee," and 2023's "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," with "Age of Extinction" also being available to stream on Amazon Prime, 2009's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is only available on Max. Meanwhile, 2007's "Transformers" and 2017's "Transformers: The Last Knight" are not available to stream through any major streaming service.
Put simply, those who want to watch all the live-action "Transformers" films will need subscriptions to both Max and Paramount+ and must rent or purchase the remaining two in order to complete the series.