At this year’s CinemaCon, which took place in Las Vegan, avid Transformers fans were gifted with a first look at Paramount’s animated origin story Transformers One. The film, which is set entirely on the Transformers home world Cybertron will tell the story of Optimus Prime (Orion Pax) and Megatron and “how they transformed from brothers in arms to sworn enemies,” said Brian Tyree Henry, the voice of young Megatron (also known as D-16).
Chris Hemsworth (Optimus), Scarlett Johansson (Elita-1) and Henry (Megatron) attended the presentation at The Colosseum with a wonderful gift for attendees. Together, the released the first official trailer for Transformers One ahead of its wide launch on April 18th. They also revealed a full 3D scene, showcasing the films animation via Industrial Light & Magic.
According to various reports, the clip featured Orion and D-16 venturing to the surface of Cybertron for the very first time after having just gained the ability to transform. Cybertron itself is a vast environment of rocky structures that also possess transformative abilities, as though the planet is alive and everchanging.
Johansson appeared on the screen via a recorded message straight from New York, where she is currently working on her own directorial debut, Eleanor the Great. Johansson spoke briefly about the film and reased that it’s “unlike anything you’ve ever seen onscreen.”
Hemsworth also chipped in, discussing his version of Optimus Prime which is said to be very different to what we have previously seen. Now, Hemsworth has a giant weight on his shoulder… Many Transformers fans will know that Peter Cullen’s name alone is synonymous with Optimus Prime. The actor paid tribute to Cullen, thanking the voice actor for bringing “strength, gentleness and compassion” to Optimus. Taking on such an iconic role is a huge undertaking, but considering how this story intends to tackle the origin of these characters, we’re so incredibly intrigued to see what Hemsworth brings to the table.
The cast of Transformers One also includes Keegan-Michael Key as B-127 (Bumblebee), Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne and John Hamm. The film is directed by Toy Story 4‘s Josh Cooley, with a script by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari. Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Tom DeSanto, Don Murphy, Michael Bay, Mark Vahradian and Aaron Dem are producing. Steven Spielberg, Zev Foreman, Olivier Dumont, Brian Oliver, B.J. Farmer and Matt Quigg are executive producer.
Transformers One is set to be released in cinemas on September 13th. However, a date is abscent from Paramount UK’s instagram post. This could mean that a date for the UK hasn’t been set in stone just yet, but we’re hoping it’ll be either on September 13th or close to it.
Regardless… The Transformers are back. Keep your eyes peeled for the first trailer for Transformers One which is supposedly set to arrive next Thursday.