SDCC 2024: Transformers One Director, Producer Clarify Trilogy Plans (Exclusive)

This fall, Paramount Pictures is set to roll out the first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie, Transformers One, centering around Optimus Prime and Megatron. Based on the iconic Hasbro toys, the Transformers franchise has earned over $5 billion at the global box office across six films and with Transformers One on the horizon, that number will likely climb even higher. So far it has received overwhelming praise, earning a standing ovation at film festivals and fans that have the opportunity to screen it early have called it the “best Transformers film to date.”

Per the synopsis, Transformers One is “the untold origin story of Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Bryan Tyree Henry), better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. The star-studded voice cast also includes Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key and Steve Buscemi with Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm.

Last year producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura showed optimism for a trilogy as the natural progression that is laid out in the film presents itself as. Speaking to ComicBook at San Diego Comic-Con, di Bonaventura clarified his past comments, still remaining hopeful that they will be able to create other films in the future. “It’s been reported slightly incorrectly. What I said is [it’s] a natural trilogy because, because we have a really strong sense of how these two characters are gonna grow,” he said. “And so we, interestingly enough, we know the probably the most important point in both the 2nd and 3rd movies if we’re lucky enough to get there. So, it keeps it character based and that’s why I was saying that it’s natural. 

You know, so far the reactions have been so positive that it feels like we’ll get there to the next one anyway. It was different, this one, because you are dealing with no humans. The robot characters therefore are far more fleshed out than we’ve ever been able to do in live action. And so it’s possible to say with a straight face, it’s a character based adventure movie. This one is, and the next one’s gonna be, and the next one will be there if we can get all the way there.”

Andrew Barrer, Gabriel Ferrari and Eric Pearson penned the screenplay directed by Josh Cooley. The film was produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Tom DeSanto & Don Murphy, Michael Bay, Mark Vahradian, and Aaron Dem, with executive producers Steven Spielberg, Zev Foreman, Olivier Dumont, Bradley J. Fischer, B.J. Farmer, and Matt Quigg.

Transformers One rolls into theaters September 20th.