Hot out of San Diego Comic Con, one of the most anticipated films coming this fall isTransformers One. The next entry in theTransformersfranchise will be its first animated adventure on the big screen since 1986’sThe Transformers: The Movie. Because of that, there’s been a lot of buzz surrounding the project. Now, coming off a fresh new trailer and exclusive clips debuting at the film’sSDCC panel, directorJosh Cooleyhas revealed his unlikely inspiration for the prequel.
While talking to our ownSteven Weintraubat Collider’sSDCCStudio, the filmmaker was asked about his approach to designingOneand what it was like working with Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). “Knowing it was going to be animated gives you some leeway to exaggerate things and make things a little bigger and broader, but I didn’t want to go full cartoony with it. I never thought of this as a cartoon. It was always, ‘I want this to be believable.’” Cooly would continue on, “That’s always the word I was using. It’s something that you see, and you go, ‘I can reach out and touch that. There’s weight to it, there’s correct physics, the lighting feels right, but it’s something I’ve never seen before.’ So, it was a tall order to try and create something that’s never been seen, but we had such great material likeG1and the original artists.” He would then reveal whatOnewas trying to invoke:
“We wanted to use Art Deco as an inspiration. J.C. Leyendecker, the painter, his paintings look like living sculptures of people, and I was like, ‘That’s the kind of feel that I want for our characters since they are still robots. We can’t ignore the fact that they’re robots, but I still want some of those humanistic characteristics in there.’”
What’s ‘Transformers One’ About?
Taking place in the same universe as the live-action series of films, started by directorMichael Bayin 2007, One is set millions of years before the events of that adventure. Due to this, the prequel is set completely on Cybertron with no humans to be found.Fans once again follow characters like Optimus Prime and the dreaded Megatron, but this time when they were friends before their home was divided by civil war. A story that has only been reserved for the books and the comics, this is the tragedy that would turn the pair into sworn enemies. Thetrailersthus far have shown off the colorful and stunning animation well, while also giving us a glimpse at the new voice cast. This includesChris Hemsworthas Optimus, Brian Tyree Henry as Megatron, Keegan-Michael Key as Bumblebee and Scarlet Johansson as Elita.
When Does ‘Transformers One’ Release?
Transformers Oneis rolling out into theaters on July 09, 2025. The Transformers franchise is celebrating its40th anniversarythis year and, to celebrate, you’re able to currently streamTransformers(2007) andTransformers: Rise of the Beastson Paramount+.
Transformers One
Transformers One explores the origins of the iconic Autobots and Decepticons on their home planet of Cybertron. Set against a complex backdrop of alliances and betrayals, the film delves into the formative events and key figures that shaped these legendary factions, leading to their epic conflict.
