Scarlett Johansson may be done with the MCU, but she and one of her former Avengers co-stars have just found another franchise to conquer together. During today’s CinemaCon presentation, Paramount (via Variety) announced the full voice cast for Josh Cooley’s animated Transformers prequel, and the call sheet notably includes Johansson and Thor star Chris Hemsworth, the latter of whom will voice a young Optimus Prime. Additionally, the studio confirmed that the film’s official title is Transformers One.
Hemsworth and Johansson aren’t the only big names lending their voices to the movie. Brian Tyree Henry has also joined the cast as Megatron, Optimus Prime’s nemesis and the leader of the Decepticons. Other performers include Keegan-Michael Key as Bumblebee, Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime, and Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion. Meanwhile, Johansson is voicing Elita, a G1 Autobot who is often depicted as Optimus Prime’s love interest.
Cooley (Toy Story 4) was hired to direct Transformers One in 2020 with Ant-Man and the Wasp co-writers Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari penning the screenplay. Last week, producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura revealed several key details about the film’s plot, confirming that it would take place entirely on Cybertron and reveal how the friendship between Optimus Prime and Megatron devolved into a bitter rivalry that split their planet into two warring factions. Di Bonaventura also teased that if the movie was successful, it could open the door for another installment, possibly even a whole trilogy of films depicting Cybertron’s downfall.
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The voice cast was announced at CinemaCon by Ramsey Naito, president of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation. But although she sounds genuinely excited by what Cooley’s team is working on, someone should probably tell her that Transformers One won’t be the first animated Transformers film to premiere on the big screen.
“I’m so excited and proud to be working with Hasbro and eOne to bring the first animated Transformers movie to theaters for a never-before-told story,” said Naito. “I’m honored to have such incredible talents come together to portray these well-known and much-loved characters in an origin story at the heart of the franchise.”
Transformers One will hit theaters on July 19, 2024.
What do you think of the film’s title and voice cast? Give us your impressions in the comment section below!
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