The late, great Peter Cullen has one last performance as Optimus Prime for the world to enjoy. Cullen, who recently passed away at the age of 85, voiced the leader of the Autobots in Transformers for more than 40 years since the ‘80s. Now, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Transformers: The Movie, Hasbro has created a new special animated short as part of the festivities.
Optimus Prime: Awakening will be included in theaters following select anniversary screenings of the original 1986 film. The 12-minute animated short was designed as a love letter to the Transformers community and the late Peter Cullen. It builds on the acclaimed storytelling and visuals of The Transformers: The Movie (1986), giving audiences the rare opportunity to experience the iconic cultural moment from the franchise’s past while exploring its future on the big screen.
According to Hasbro, the animated short “delivers emotional storytelling, electric action, and new performances by legends Frank Welker as Megatron/Soundwave and Peter Cullen in his final original voice performance as Optimus Prime.”
Here is the synopsis for The Transformers: The Movie.
“Optimus Prime and Megatron collide in a battle with permanent consequences just as Unicron, a planet-devouring machine, closes in. Heroes fall, villains are reborn and a new leader must rise.”
“Optimus Prime and Megatron were made for each other. After all, one needs the perfect hero against the epitome of evil to create great drama,” Megatron voice actor Frank Welker said. “Peter’s portrayal of Prime was born of his own personal beliefs; honesty, loyalty, and always insisting on doing the right thing. This made it easy to be friends. Returning as Megatron and Soundwave for one final story opposite Peter’s Optimus in “Optimus Prime: Awakening” was a real gift. I will miss my friend, but that voice and his heart and values will always be part of Optimus Prime.”
Meanwhile, Paramount and Hasbro are currently working on a new Transformers movie. No details have been revealed but it will be the first live-action entry in the series since 2023’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. The animated Transformers One was intended to kick off an entire trilogy. However, the first movie’s disappointing box office returns led to Paramount scrapping the planned sequels.
The Transformers: The Movie returns to theaters beginning September 17.
What do you think? Are you excited about the short? Do you plan to see it in theaters? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Instagram.
