“If we did this as a live-action movie, it would probably cost $500M,” said Transformers One producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura about the Paramount Animation and Hasbro title that kicked off San Diego Comic-Con 2024.
They showed a clip to a packed Hall H featuring a race at the Olympics of Cybertron, illustrating what life is like on the planet. Orion Pax aka Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) wants to enter it, but D-16 aka Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry) does not. They’re part of a Miners pact, a group that isn’t permitted in the race. We get a look at Sentinel Prime (Jon Hamm) addressing the crowd about the battle that killed the other Primes and the veterans of it. The race fires off, and Orion Pax and Optimus Prime are dropped into it. There’s also a shot of Scarlett Johansson’s character of Alita. See the trailer below.
The CG-animated Transformers One follows the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, who were friends before they were enemies, only to change the fate of CyberTron forever. Director Josh Cooley took to the stage: “I’ve got that feeling you get when you’re giving a present and you know they’re going to be excited about it,” he said.
It is the eighth installment overall in the Transformers film series, and the franchise’s first theatrical animated feature film since The Transformers: The Movie (1986). The new film was announced in August 2017, and by April 2020, Cooley had been hired to direct. Animation services were provided by Industrial Light & Magic, and Brian Tyler composed the score.
The first trailer for Transformers One was released online on April 18, 2024. It featured a custom introduction from Chris Hemsworth and Henry, and incorporated the song “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones. It made its debut via a spacecraft that was launched 125,000 feet above the Earth.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the most recent live-action film in the Universe.
Transformers One is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on September 20, 2024.
David Raiklen wrote, directed and scored his first film at age 9. He began studying keyboard and composing at age 5. He attended, then taught at UCLA, USC and CalArts. Among his teachers are John Williams and Mel Powel.
He has worked for Fox, Disney and Sprint. David has received numerous awards for his work, including the 2004 American Music Center Award. Dr. Raiklen has composed music and sound design for theater (Death and the Maiden), dance (Russian Ballet), television (Sing Me a Story), cell phone (Spacey Movie), museums (Museum of Tolerance), concert (Violin Sonata ), and film (Appalachian Trail).
His compositions have been performed at the Hollywood Bowl and the first Disney Hall. David Raiken is also host of a successful radio program, Classical Fan Club.
