Paramount Pictures presented the first look at Transformers One , the first animated Transformers movie in 40 years, at CinemaCon on Thursday. Introduced by a pre-recorded greeting from Scarlett Johansson, then in person on stage by Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry, attending exhibitors and journalists were exclusively shown the first trailer of the Josh Cooley-directed film and an extended look in 3D. (The trailer will be released on April 18.)
“I'm really excited to play the young Optimus Prime and bring out a side of this character that audiences haven't seen before,” Hemsworth said in his opening remarks, during which he acknowledged the traditions he shares with original voice actor Peter. Cullen.
According to the official logline, Transformers One “tells the long-awaited origin story of how Orion Box and D-16, two of the most iconic characters in the Transformers universe, went from brothers Optimus Prime and Megatron to arch-enemies . . .”
Hemsworth Orion Box, Henry D-16, Johansson Elida-1, and Keegan-Michael Key voiced a proto-Bumblebee, later called B-127. The voice cast includes Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm.
The ILM-animated Transformers One isn't in the same vein as Disney or Pixar fare or Paramount's own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. It's a fitting digital look to the story, set on the world of Cybertron years before it was destroyed by a war between the Autobots and Decepticons. This Cybertron still has a pulse and a sense of life.
In an extended 3D scene, the low-crew Orion Box, T-16 and B-127 sneak aboard an Elida-1 powered supply train headed for the surface world – a place the three young stowaways have never been before. Before.
After an initial skirmish with Elida-1, who wants them off the train (again), Orion tells her they're heading to the surface world to reach the Matrix of Leadership. This will allow them to transform and realize their full potential. As they ride above Earth, the very surface of Cybertron transforms, with giant rocks exploding from the ground skyward.
Additional scenes showed the four 'bots gaining their powers and becoming vehicles for comedic effect for the first time. Think of a teenage superhero like Spider-Man testing out their newfound abilities for the first time.
The biggest takeaway from Transformers One's visuals outside of its specific animated aesthetic is its tone, which is more youthful, humorous, and family-friendly than some fans might expect. The playfulness and banter between its coming-of-age characters had more Ninja Turtles vibes than anything we've seen from the serious and determined Optimus Prime.
Transformers One opens in theaters on September 13.
For more on Paramount's CinemaCon presentation, read Gladiator 2's first looks, Shadow's introduction in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, what South Park and Kendrick Lamar's creators have in store, the Transformers/GI Joe crossover movie confirmation, and the IMAX re-release of Christopher Nolan's Interstellar.
