The Big Picture
- Paramount Pictures premiered the trailer for
Transformers One
in space, with Chris Hemsworth voicing Optimus Prime. - The star-packed cast includes Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan Michael Key, Jon Hamm, and Laurence Fishburne.
- Hemsworth’s role as Optimus Prime was praised by producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura for bringing a fresh voice to the character.
In a genuinely impressive PR stunt, Paramount Pictures successfully premiered the trailer for their latest spectacle, Transformers One, in the vast expanse of space. Or just outside the stratosphere, if you prefer. Starring Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson, the animated film takes us back to Cybertron, the home planet of the Transformers. This story stays true to the origins of the comic books and television series which preceded it. Our main characters include the most acclaimed Transformers, Optimus Prime and Megatron, who begin the story as friends. Audiences can see what happened to these characters and how they became enemies. Inevitably, this also explains how the Autobots and Decepticons begin their war.
The trailer was introduced by stars Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry, who lend their voices to the legendary characters Optimus Prime and Megatron, respectively. This stellar introduction was broadcasted live, captivating viewers on the official Transformers Movie social media pages and Paramount’s YouTube channel. Hemsworth further ramped up the excitement by sharing the stream on his Instagram, engaging his vast following and Transformers enthusiasts in a unique event that was truly out of this world. Okay, that’s enough of the space puns.
Transformers: One boasts a star-packed cast already. Directly opposite Hemsworth will be recent Oscar nominee Henry as his nemesis Megatron. Johansson plays Elita in the film while Keegan Michael Key will voice the fan-favorite Bumblebee. Also aboard the film are Jon Hamm and Laurence Fishburne who will play former Autobot leader Sentinel Prime and one of the franchise’s oldest bots in Alpha Trion respectively. Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley is directing the film with a script penned by Andrew Barrer, Steve Desmond, and Gabriel Ferrari.
Why Was Chris Hemsworth Cast as Optimus Prime?
Speaking with Collider’s Steve Weintraub last year, series producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura hailed the impact of Hemsworth, who surprisingly took on the role of Optimus Prime from Peter Cullen.
“Also, it’s the imagination of our artists and our director, and one of the great things is, as you actually put the voices to the characters– 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. But Scarlett [Johansson] is amazing, and it’s just coming alive in a way that it’s really rewarding, and we had confidence in our director, and all he’s doing is giving us more and more.”
Transformers One is currently slated for release on September 14, 2024. Check out the trailer above.
Transformers One
An origin story set on Cybertron, home of both the Autobots and the Decepticons. The film is said to focus on the relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron
- Release Date
- September 13, 2024
- Director
- Josh Cooley
- Writers
- Andrew Barrer , Steve Desmond , Gabriel Ferrari , Michael Sherman
