The Transformers: The Movie returns to theaters on September 17 to mark its 40th anniversary. We've known for some time that it will be accompanied by an animated short, which is now confirmed as the 12-minute Optimus Prime: Awakening.
As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, Hasbro has created Optimus Prime: Awakening as part of its broader anniversary brand celebration. The short will be presented following select anniversary screenings of the original 1986 film, and is designed as a love letter to the Transformers community and the late Peter Cullen, the legendary talent and voice of Optimus Prime.
Optimus Prime: Awakening "delivers emotional storytelling," "electric action," and new performances by legends Frank Welker as Megatron/Soundwave and Cullen in his final original voice performance as Optimus Prime.
Cullen previously said that returning for Optimus Prime: Awakening meant a great deal to him. As a press release explains, "the actor considered the project a homecoming to a character he had shaped for more than four decades. Peter’s performance reveals a deeper vulnerability while retaining the unmistakable strength and authority that made his portrayal iconic."
The short builds on the acclaimed storytelling and visuals of 1986's Transformers: The Movie, giving audiences the rare opportunity to experience the iconic cultural moment from the franchise's past while "exploring its future on the big screen."
The movie, released in 4K, will play in the previously announced U.S., United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Germany. France, Singapore, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Peru have also been added to the list today.
Welker said, "Optimus Prime and Megatron were made for each other. After all, one needs the perfect hero against the epitome of evil to create great drama. Peter’s portrayal of Prime was born of his own personal beliefs; honesty, loyalty, and always insisting on doing the right thing."
"This made it easy to be friends. Returning as Megatron and Soundwave for one final story opposite Peter’s Optimus in 'Optimus Prime: Awakening' was a real gift," he continued. "I will miss my friend, but that voice and his heart and values will always be part of Optimus Prime."
Transformers: The Movie plays in theaters from November 17 to November 22. You can see a new poster for Optimus Prime: Awakening below.
In 1986, THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE brought the battle for Cybertron to the big screen and refused to play it safe. Optimus Prime and Megatron collide in a battle with permanent consequences just as Unicron, a planet-devouring machine, closes in. Heroes fall, villains are reborn and a new leader must rise. With a voice cast that included Orson Welles and Leonard Nimoy and an arena-rock soundtrack, it made Transformers feel bigger, darker and more cinematic than ever before.
Forty years later, the film returns to theaters in 4K, with premium large-format 4DX presentations in select markets, for six days only, September 17–22. Every screening also includes the world premiere of OPTIMUS PRIME: AWAKENING, an all-new CG-animated short. Exclusive collectible concessions are available at participating theatres while supplies last.