Chris Hemsworth is set to voice Optimus Prime in an upcoming animated movie titled Transformers One, which seemingly acts as a prequel to the Transformers franchise. The upcoming movie will also feature Scarlett Johansson, Jon Hamm, Brian Tyree Henry, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne and Keegan-Michael Key.
The first trailer for Transformers One shows the origins of Optimus Prime, back when he was only known as Orion Pax. Unlike the live-action movies and animated shows that featured the famous voice of Peter Cullen as Optimus, Thor actor Chris Hemsworth will be stepping into the role of a younger version of the character. Brian Tyree Henry, best known for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Bullet Train, will voice D-16 before he became known as the villain Megatron.
The synopsis for Transformers One reads:
“The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever.”
The movie is being directed by Josh Cooley who wrote the screenplays for Inside Out and Toy Story 4. Writers include Gabriel Ferrari and Andrew Barrier, who both previously co-wrote Ant-Man and The Wasp, alongside long-time Pixar story artist Bobby Rubio. It seems like there’s some great veteran talent behind Transformers One which does give us hope that it will be a good time in theatres.
Transformers One follows 2023’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, set in the same universe as Michael Bay’s live-action franchise (though Rise of the Beasts was directed by Creed 2 director Steven Caple Jr.). It’s unclear if the animated movie has anything to do with that live-action universe or if it’s a standalone project, though we’ll have to wait until the movie arrives in cinemas on 20 September 2024.
While we’re on the topic of beloved childhood adaptations, Keanu Reeves is set to voice Shadow in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie.
Watch the trailer for Transformers One below:
Source: Paramount