TRANSFORMERS ONE Animated Prequel Movie Release Date Revealed; Chris Hemsworth Will Play Optimus Prime

TRANSFORMERS ONE Animated Prequel Movie Release Date Revealed; Chris Hemsworth Will Play Optimus Prime

Paramount has finally revealed when the upcoming Transformers One animated prequel will be released in theaters, while it's also been confirmed that the A-List voice cast will be led by Chris Hemsworth.

News
By JoshWilding - Apr 28, 2023 04:04 AM EST
Filed Under: Transformers
Source: Toonado.com

Yesterday evening, Paramount held a panel at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, and the studio's highly anticipated animated Transformers prequel now has a title, voice cast, and release date (via Toonado.com). 

Transformers One looks set to explore the epic rivalry between the Autobots and the Decepticons, with Avengers: Endgame star Chris Hemsworth tapped to play Optimus Prime. Eternals star Brian Tyree Henry, meanwhile, will lend his voice to the young Megatron in a story that will reveal how they went from friends to enemies. 

Similar to how The Super Mario Bros. Movie swapped out longtime cast members for Hollywood A-Listers, Transformers One will also feature Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) as Elita, Keegan-Michael Key (Pinocchio) as Bumblebee, Jon Hamm (Top Gun: Maverick) as Sentinel Prime, and Laurence Fishburne (Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania) as Alpha Trion.

"I’m so excited and proud to be working with Hasbro and eOne to bring the first animated Transformers movie in almost 40 years to theaters for a never-before-told story," says Ramsey Naito, president of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation. "I’m honored to have such incredible talents come together to portray these well-known and much-loved characters in an origin story at the heart of the franchise."

Toy Story 4's Josh Cooley is directing the film from a screenplay by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari. Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg is executive producing Transformers One alongside Brian Goldner, Brian Oliver, Bradley J. Fischer, and Valerii An. 

Producers include Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Tom DeSanto, Don Murphy, Michael Bay, Mark Vahradian and Aaron Dem.

Fans of original Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen will be understandably disappointed to learn that he's been swapped out for the MCU's God of Thunder, but a cast like this will almost certainly increase interest in the project and help it become a box office hit. We don't have a first look quite yet, but between this and June's Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, it's going to be an exciting couple of years for fans of the franchise. 

As for Transformers One's release date, it's officially heading to theaters on July 19, 2024.

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bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 4/28/2023, 4:54 AM
This movie has a really wild cast. Never expected that. Wonder if all the money goes to that, or whether or not the rest will be good as well
Scripturepoetic
Scripturepoetic - 4/28/2023, 9:54 AM
@bkmeijer1 -

Would you be mad if they had a teeny tiny budget left for special fx?
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 4/28/2023, 9:57 AM
@Scripturepoetic - wouldn't be mad if that's the range of what we'll end up seeing
Origame
Origame - 4/28/2023, 4:55 AM
Australian optimus?
tylerzero
tylerzero - 4/28/2023, 5:38 AM
@Origame -

Uh, because Australian Thor?
Origame
Origame - 4/28/2023, 6:10 AM
@tylerzero - I just think it's funny. I imagine Megatron will pull out an energy sword and Optimus is like "that's not a knife. This is a knife!"
bobevanz
bobevanz - 4/28/2023, 6:45 AM
@Origame - I prefer Australian Wolverine
Origame
Origame - 4/28/2023, 9:54 AM
@bobevanz - the Zohan is the best Australian.
Tasmaniac
Tasmaniac - 4/28/2023, 11:37 AM
@Origame - Oi! Megsy! Get [frick]ed, ya [foo foo]!
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 4/28/2023, 4:57 AM
Paper Boi as Megatron, interesting.
IcePyke
IcePyke - 4/28/2023, 5:10 AM
Thortimus Prime
vectorsigma
vectorsigma - 4/28/2023, 5:13 AM
Megatron, oi, how's it going, mate?
WarMonkey
WarMonkey - 4/28/2023, 5:20 AM
Actually this isn't a story that's never been told it was done in Transformers: Prime and was excellent. Hemsworth and Henry are awful choices for this, they won't sound anything like the actual characters, terrible casting. Actually maybe Henry, I'll have to hear his interpretation 1st but I doubt it would be good at all and I would be shocked if it was. No faith in Hemsworth Prime sounding anything like Cullen.
Scripturepoetic
Scripturepoetic - 4/28/2023, 7:00 AM
@WarMonkey -

Technically,
It has been 'told' in "Transformers: Prime"



but this time around the story will be dramatized vs. narrated

I'm sure Hemsworth has been cast specifically for his comedic timing, since this is before Optimus assumes the mantle of leadership and the status as a PRIME, similar to how Hot Rod would have to step up and mature, in order to take his place amongst the PRIMES
Scripturepoetic
Scripturepoetic - 4/28/2023, 7:12 AM

@WarMonkey -

We haven't really gotten to know how Optimus was, back when he was Orion Pax, and it will be refreshing to see the contrast, from how iconic he will become, to how he was before he became seasoned

An entire modern big budget film set entirely on CYBERTRON

Come on,
The opening scene from "Bumblebee"



Stretched to full feature length without being tied down to live action or an Earth setting

How can you not be a little excited about that??

This is an upgrade, that, as a legitimate 'Transformers' fan, you could only pray 🙏 about
WarMonkey
WarMonkey - 4/28/2023, 7:13 AM
@Scripturepoetic - The Rodimus toy was one of my favorites, it was so cool
Scripturepoetic
Scripturepoetic - 4/28/2023, 7:31 AM
@WarMonkey -

Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime is COMPLETELY overshadowed by Optimus, but he IS frickin' iconic, and is criminally underappreciated these days
Scripturepoetic
Scripturepoetic - 4/28/2023, 8:55 AM
@WarMonkey -

The RODIMUS toyline IS 🔥!!
WarMonkey
WarMonkey - 4/28/2023, 9:27 AM
@Scripturepoetic - You've made me want to go rewatch the G1 Transformer movie now!
Arthorious
Arthorious - 4/28/2023, 9:32 AM
@WarMonkey - outside of Cullen, I’ve like Garry Chalk interpretation in Armada, Cybertron, and even the awful Energon. And of course him as Optimus from Beast Wars
WarMonkey
WarMonkey - 4/28/2023, 11:37 AM
@Arthorious - Of course! He's awesome, and I'm incredibly disappointed that Netflix and this movie won't use him.
GetsugaTensho22
GetsugaTensho22 - 4/28/2023, 5:20 AM
Oh man, I’m really not a fan of ANY performances from Brian Tyree Henry.

Still, I suppose voice acting is a different beast from live action, so perhaps this will be different.
elgaz
elgaz - 4/28/2023, 5:21 AM
Looks out Megs! There's a shaaaaark in the water!
TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 4/28/2023, 5:44 AM
“ Chris Hemsworth tapped to play Optimus Prime”

No. The great Peter Cullen is still alive. He is and will always be Optimus Prime, especially the animated version.
Having Hemsworth play Prime is about as improper as having Chris Evans play Buzz Lightyear instead of Tim Allen.

Prequel Bumblebee should be the classic original Gan Gilvezan. He also voiced Peter Parker in Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends (1981).
At least go for Dylan O’Brien from the 2018 movie if Gilvezan sounds too old for a prequel voice.


The original voice actor for Elita (Marlene Aragon) died in 1988 and Kohansson has a great voice for VO work. She was really good as the virtual girlfriend in Her back in 2011.

The original Alpha Trion (John Stephenson) died in 2014 but Phil Lamarr who voiced him in the 2007 animated show is still alive.
But Fishburne has a great voice and I personally like him as an actor, so I don’t have any real issue with that casting.


And the original Sentinel Prime (Jack Angel) died in 2021 at 90.
As did Leonard Nimoy who voiced him in Dark of the Moon.
I don’t know about John Hamm. I like him as an actor but that voice needs some distinctive gravitas.
But he has done VO work before particularly as MODOK so.

But for prequels the originals are always the best if still alive especially the legend Peter Cullen.
iceballsreborn
iceballsreborn - 4/28/2023, 6:18 AM
@TyrantBossMedia - this is worse than buzzlight year
Scripturepoetic
Scripturepoetic - 4/28/2023, 6:53 AM
@TyrantBossMedia -

You have valid points, for sure, but I think 💬 this casting reveals a lot about the tone and chemistry that the director is going for

The casting clues us into the light-heartedness and comedy that I believe they are shooting for

Peter Cullen hasn't been announced but I wouldn't be surprised if he eventually voices Optimus when he matures from Orion Pax into a PRIME

Keegan-Michael Key being cast over Dylan O'Brien heavily suggests just how much of a comedy this will be, same with the majority of voice-over selections

As Orion Pax, this is a period of time before Optimus assumes the gravitas he will eventually shoulder as a PRIME

They've cast a modern celebrity cast, with Spielberg producing

This is a dream production that will be entirely CGI, set on Cybertron. I'm entirely optimistic, since this seems to be shooting 🌠 for the lightning ⚡ in a bottle production, that hasn't happened since "Transformers: the Movie"
TyrantBossMedia
TyrantBossMedia - 4/28/2023, 7:06 AM
@Scripturepoetic - I never thought of the comedic tone they may be taking. I’m afraid you might be right.

Comedic elements are fine as long as they don’t go full comedy.

I just hope they do it well.
Deckacards
Deckacards - 4/28/2023, 10:47 AM
@Scripturepoetic - The Cullen as Mature Prime - especially if they keep it secret until then - would be awesome.
mattboesch8907
mattboesch8907 - 4/28/2023, 7:30 AM
is this a Prequel to the 1980s Transformers movie? Is this a prequel to the live-action films?
dragon316
dragon316 - 4/28/2023, 8:31 AM
@mattboesch8907 - stand alone movie suppose to be prequel how transformers prime and megatron came to be that’s all I know at moment and it’s animated
FusionWarrior
FusionWarrior - 4/28/2023, 8:48 AM
As much as I was hoping for Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, I guess I can trust this decision to cast Thor and Phastos as Optimus Prime and Megatron.
RitoRevolto
RitoRevolto - 4/28/2023, 9:38 AM
Umm...okay. Chris Hemsworth as Optimus Prime is definitely a choice.
Deckacards
Deckacards - 4/28/2023, 10:45 AM
I absolutely love Chris Hemsworth...but Peter Cullen is and always will be Optimus Prime. As long as he's alive, he has to be Optimus. This is a mistake.
grif
grif - 4/28/2023, 11:20 AM
Fans of original Optimus Prime voice actor Peter Cullen will be understandably disappointed to learn that he's been swapped out for the MCU's God of Thunder, but a cast like this will almost certainly increase interest in the project and help it become a box office hit

clueless hollywood
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 4/28/2023, 12:48 PM
"Bring me Megatroooon!"
WEAPONXOXOXO
WEAPONXOXOXO - 4/28/2023, 1:07 PM
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