Transformers One: Hasbro’s iconic series returns to its beginnings to power the future

For the past 40 years, Hasbro’s Transformers brand has been a staple in the global toy sector, engaging and delighting new generations of children with innovative toys that tell stories through a variety of media. “Generations” and “Legacy” are important parts of the Transformers brand, essentially the “multiverse” of Transformers, creating endless possibilities. September 20, timeline reset Transformers Onethe untold origin stories of Optimus Prime (Orion Pax) and Megatron (D-16).

For the first fully CG-animated Transformers movie, Hasbro and Paramount Animation tapped director Josh Cooley, a Pixar veteran who co-wrote “Transformers” script. inside out and has some experience bringing toys to the big screen. when toy book Cooley was last seen doing his final work toy story 4The film won the Best Animated Feature Film award at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Now, he’s ready to unleash his vision of Cybertron, a living metallic world in which the Autobots and Decepticons will rise, weaving a story of self-discovery in which friends “are united as brothers.” ”, changing the fate of their home planet and evolving into leading warring factions.

Open the movie toy box

“I grew up watching this animated series and was the perfect age to watch it. While playing with these toys, I always remember the difficulty I had in transforming many of them. Some of the toys were very complex. , and I was pretty young, so I put some of those toys in a semi-transformed place,” Cooley said. “When we started working on Transformers OneI wanted to incorporate some game modes into the story, since we’re dealing with young characters who are just learning to transform.

Cooley’s childhood playtime inspired a series of scenes in which the central character grapples with transformation while trying to escape the looming threat.

“You enter a Transformers Movies look forward to seeing characters who can shapeshift, and I don’t think we’ve ever seen a situation where they couldn’t. That’s because I couldn’t read the instructions properly as a kid,” Cooley said with a laugh. This hands-on, “playing” mentality when crafting action sequences further shaped the film. Rather than hiring stuntmen in motion-capture suits to assist animators in developing the movements, Cooley and his team turned to toys to inspire transformations in combat.

“It’s fun to take a toy and ask, ‘In what ways can we change it so that it becomes part of the fight?'” Optimus Prime’s head goes into his body, so that’s the equivalent of a toy for us. Just a “duck”. At that point, I felt like I was playing with a toy again, only this time on a screen.

big screen game date

Of course, Cooley isn’t the only one relishing the idea of ​​reconnecting with the spirit of youth. Chris Hemsworth (Orion Parkes/Optimus Prime), Scarlett Johansson (Elita-1), Steve Buscemi (Starscream), Laurence Fishburne (Alpha Tryon) and Jon The star-studded voice cast including Hamm (Sentinel Prime) are also excited. Brian Tyree Henry (D-16/Megatron) and Keegan-Michael Key (B-127/Bumblebee) are the big kids who bring the fans to work with them.

“I’m a Transformers kid. I was one of those kids who came home from school and watched the show,” Key said. “My favorite Transformer is Soundwave because it was a cassette player from the 1980s, which I thought was so cool.”

While he’s not the sweet boombox from the ’80s, he has some similarities to the character in “Key.” Transformers One.

“So, B-127 is the technical name of my Bumblebee character. He works with trash, and what’s really appealing about him is that he creates a world for himself,” Key explains. “He always looked at the positive side of things. He did have an indomitable spirit and that was one of his charming qualities.

When Henry voiced the Decepticon leader, he was very fond of a pair of Autobot supporting characters in the G1 series.

“I’ve always been the guy who supports the underdog,” Henry explained. “Sure, Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Megatron and Starscream are all great, but there are two Transformers that people don’t remember me liking. One is called Jazz, what Jazz does It’s about playing music and knocking out opponents. And he’s a loser named Ratchet who’s very argumentative. marvelous!

Collaborative sci-fi epic

Cooley pointed out Transformers One This is an epic story that audiences have never seen before, set millions of years before the Earth existed. “There was nothing to fall back on, so we couldn’t do a fish out of water story – there couldn’t be Earth references. I wanted this to feel bigger than anyone could have imagined.

These toy designers are part of the Hasbro brand team that Cooley and his team work with. Using the legendary Transformers “brand bible” and 40 years of reference material as a starting point, Paramount and ILM artists pushed the boundaries of character design while staying true to the characters’ familiar essence.

“We would show things to Hasbro, and they would provide notes and suggestions that we would refer back to,” Cooley explains. “The Transformers sandbox is so vast and spans so many versions and timelines, but telling the story felt open and refreshing.” While the filmmakers tended to tell the story first, one rooted in Toy projects require some great toys to go with it.

“When you think about ‘toy fetishism,’ to me, great design is when you want to own it as a toy—put it in your collection, put it on a shelf, look at it all day Just watch it,” he said, noting that he has started his own modern Transformers series. “I just purchased Robosen Optimus Prime – it’s incredible!”

Join the tradition

eve Transformers OneAfter the film’s release, the cast and crew knew they were taking their place in the brand’s storied history as it marked a landmark year. At the same time, the fruits of their labor will be associated with generations past while ushering in a new generation of children who will lead the Transformers brand into its next 40 years.

“I remember trading Transformers in school,” Henry recalled. “It’s really cool when kids combine car logos and cartoon culture at the same time. It says a lot, you can go to any country and say ‘Transformers’ and they’ll understand. So that proves [the brand]what this story meant to people, and how ahead of its time it was.

For Cooley, focusing on making a great film that can be seen by a wide audience has outweighed the idea of ​​being part of history—at least for now.

“I think it wasn’t fully integrated yet because we were just putting the finishing touches on the movie. When we saw the final mix and the final footage cut together and shown in Dolby Cinema, I started to be shocked. At that point, a The movie exists outside the room, outside your mind. You think, ‘This is no longer what I’ve been doing; it exists on its own once this movie comes out. I think the importance of legacy and milestones will be recognized.

BONUS: Check out some of the latest Transformers toys and collectibles celebrating 40 years of adventure!

A version of this feature was originally published in The Toy Book’s 2024 Los Angeles Fall Toy Preview issue. Click here to read the full article! Want to receive a printed copy of The Toy Book? Click here to view subscription options!