Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Set Footage Reveals Optimus Prime

The Transformers franchise has been the inspiration for a wide array of film adaptations over the years, and the forthcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is expected to take that to new heights. The film will not only serve as a sequel to 2018’s Bumblebee, but is expected to borrow elements from the beloved Beast Wars storyline. At the center of Rise of the Beasts will be Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) — and a new set video showcases the Autobot in action. The video, which you can check out below, shows the truck version of Optimus Prime driving on a New York street, decked out in his classic colors.

“The main hero is Optimus, as we all know and love,” director Steven Caple Jr. said during a press conference earlier this year. “We’re bringing Prime back, paying direct homage to Generation One. I care so much about this character that I really wanted to dive into Transformers, and I saw a Bumblebee and I was like, okay, Bumblebee had his own movie, but I want to discover more about Optimus Prime, dig underneath the surface, get underneath the metal, if you would, and like explore who he is and his experience here on earth, you know?”

“I know everyone has been asking like crazy, are we going, G1, are we going to G1?” Caple continued. “The answer is, yes, we are going to G1, the Prime.”

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will be set in 1994, and will follow two humans from Brooklyn who come into an ancient conflict that ties in with three factions of Transformers. In addition to Cullen, who has been voicing Optimus Prime across countless installments of the franchise, the film is also expected to star Ron Perlman as the voice of Optimus Primal, alongside Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, and Luna Lauren Velez and Tobe Nwigne.

“Peter Cullen brought this character to life with his amazing voice back in 1984,” producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura said during the press conference. “Is he returning? Absolutely. There’s, there’s no discussion without him really, you know, unless he didn’t want it. That would be the only way he would not be in here.”

What do you think of this first look at Optimus Prime in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is set to be released on June 24, 2022.