Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Team Reveals Why They Chose 1994

Earlier today came the first details from Paramount Pictures about the next film in the Transformers franchise. The title for the film was revealed to be Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and it was confirmed that the new movie will incorporate the ’90s fan favorite Beast Wars. Not only will this specific series be factored into the movie, the setting for the plot itself will be in the 1990s. At the presentation, series producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura said, “We originally had set it in 1994 and we were thrilled when Steven read the script and said, ‘I love that time period. So Bumblebee was in 1987 and then how do we move it forward and also not run into the timeline of the Bay ones? So we had picked ’94 in part because there was great music during that time period. So it just felt like that natural extension.”

The film’s director Steven Caple Jr. added his side of the exchange too, saying: “When I met Lorenzo and the team, I was like, where are we picking this thing up from? And he was like 1994. And I was just like, that’s a great era. You know what I mean? It has a lot of texture. It’s, it’s rich in texture is also vibrant culturally. And as he said, it has like classic music and there’s a certain energy to the nineties that I’m looking forward to capture. Like we’ve seen it on screen very few times, sometimes you can play into it too much, but I think there’s a level of like realness that I could bring to it.”

In the Heights star Anthony Ramos will lead the human cast of the next Transformers movie, starring opposite co-lead Dominique Fishback. The pair will also share the screen with none other than Optimus Prime, this time looking very much like his “G1” character design albeit with a modern flair.

“I care so much about this character and I saw Bumblebee. I wanted to get underneath the metal if you will and explore his experience on earth, and he’s my main robot, are we going G1, yes, we are going G1 Optimus Prime,” Caple Jr. said of the hero’s inclusion.

Voice actor Peter Cullen will once again return to voice the character.

In addition to Optimus, the film will also feature his heroic Autobots and their nemeses in the Decepticons, but the primary antagonists of the feature will be the Terracons and Predacons, two factions from the beloved Beast Wars spin-off.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is currently scheduled to hit theaters on June 24, 2022.