In March 2015, following the release of Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), Paramount Pictures tasked Akiva Goldsman to set up a writers' room to create ideas for potential future Transformers films. By May 2015, Barrer and Ferrari had signed on as writers, and they came up with the idea of an animated prequel that would be set on Cybertron. The film was announced in August 2017, and by April 2020, Cooley had been hired to direct. Animation services were provided by Industrial Light & Magic, and Brian Tyler composed the score.
Transformers One is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on September 20, 2024.
The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever.
Following the release of Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), Paramount Pictures tasked Akiva Goldsman, who would later serve as a co-story writer for Transformers: The Last Knight (2017), in March 2015 to work with the film franchise's director, Michael Bay, executive producer, Steven Spielberg, and producer, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, in setting up a "writers' room" to create ideas for potential future Transformers films and spin-off films.[4] After setting up the writer's room, multiple writers were hired to write future installments in the franchise. According to Goldsman, the team would look at various Transformers media created by Hasbro for inspiration; if they found one that interested them, they could submit a treatment, which would then be further developed by the whole team.[5] In late May, the writing team of Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari signed on as writers. According to Deadline Hollywood, one of the ideas that came from the writer's room had the working title Transformers One[6] and would serve as an animated prequel focusing on the Autobot–Decepticon conflict that began on Cybertron.[7][8]
In August 2017, it was reported that an animated Transformers film was officially in the works.[9] Following the release of Bumblebee (2018), di Bonaventura discussed the animated film, clarifying that it was "in the works" and would "tell the whole Cybertron mythology".[10]Bumblebee director Travis Knight additionally expressed interest in the film.[11][12]
In April 2020, it was reported that former Pixar animator and writer Josh Cooley had been hired to direct the film and was overseeing the script by Barrer and Ferrari. Hasbro Entertainment and Paramount Animation would produce the film.[13] In February 2022, it emerged that the film would be computer-animated.[14] In December 2022, the title was reported to be Transformers: A New Generation, though di Bonaventura later stated in April 2023 that the title had yet to be finalized.[15][16] Later that month, at CinemaCon, the title was officially confirmed as Transformers One.[3] di Bonaventura stated that the plot will center around the origins of the Transformers, and explore the events that lead Optimus and Megatron to go from being brothers-in-arms to becoming enemies.[17] In May, Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman were revealed to have contributed to the screenplay.[18]
When we first listen to Chris Hemsworth's voice, you're like, 'God, is he gonna be a good Optimus!' Obviously, he starts as Orion Pax and you don't become Optimus for a while, so he's not playing, for most of the movie, what we think of as Optimus, Peter Cullen. So it's that transition, and Chris's voice has a timbre that… it’s logical that Peter Cullen would take over that voice, if you would, which is really great, the fans are gonna really feel great.
Transformers One marks Hemsworth's first animated feature film. The actor joined the project after being impressed with the screenplay. Hemsworth made efforts to not use his regular speaking voice for Optimus Prime.[21] During the CinemaCon 2024 presentation, Hemsworth revealed that he had consulted with Peter Cullen on providing the voice.[22] Many of Hemsworth's lines in the film were "riff offs" from what the filmmakers wrote, bringing his charisma and comedy to them. From a fan's point of view, di Bonaventura felt important to respect Cullen's performance while not bringing him back to ensure the audience felt Prime's youth, leading to Hemsworth's casting, who surprised di Bonaventura with his "very stronge" sense of story.[23] Cooley requested that Key stay close to his regular speaking voice for Bumblebee.[24]
Industrial Light & Magic, who had provided the visual effects for the first six live-action Transformers installments, returned to provide the animation for the film.[25] The film was in post-production by February 2024.[26]
In May 2024, it was announced that Brian Tyler, who had previously provided the score for the animated television series Transformers: Prime (2010–2013), would compose the score for Transformers One.[27]
Transformers One screened as a work-in-progress at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 10, 2024,[28][29] and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States on September 20, 2024.[30] It was originally scheduled to be released on July 19, 2024,[31] but was initially delayed to September 13,[18] before shifting a week later to avoid competition with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.[30][32]
In April 2023, di Bonaventura stated that there is discussion for Transformers One to become a trilogy of films.[17] By June, he confirmed that the story is mapped out to progress over three movies, detailing the progression of the characters into their depiction in the live-action film series. The producer explained that Hemsworth's depiction will grow into the leader depicted in the previous installments, stating that the transition from Hemsworth's voice to Peter Cullen's will make sense within the story.[20]
United States
Speculative fiction
Science fiction
Cartoon
Animation
2020s
