Transformers: The Movie is returning to cinemas for a limited run this month, marking 40 years since the original animated film was released. The remastered presentation will also include a significant new chapter for fans of the Autobots.
Hasbro has confirmed that selected screenings on September 17 will be followed by Optimus Prime: Awakening, a fully realised 12-minute animated short. Paramount describes the project as a tribute to the Transformers community and to the late Peter Cullen.
Peter Cullen’s final Optimus Prime performance
Cullen died at his Los Angeles home last week, aged 85. Best known for voicing Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh, narrating memorable Toonami material—including some of the most badass anime videos ever made on Toonami,—and bringing Optimus Prime to life, he had played the Autobot leader for four decades.
Fans had been wondering whether Cullen recorded another Optimus Prime performance before his death. The new short now appears to provide the answer: Optimus Prime: Awakening will be his final original performance as the character.
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A final story with Megatron
Frank Welker, who has voiced Megatron and Soundwave across numerous Transformers productions, worked with Cullen many times. He returns as both characters for the short, putting Megatron opposite Cullen’s Optimus Prime one final time.
Welker described Optimus and Megatron as natural dramatic counterparts: the ideal hero facing the embodiment of evil. He also said Cullen’s portrayal of Prime reflected the actor’s commitment to honesty, loyalty and doing what was right.
Welker regarded returning for this final story as a gift, adding that although he would miss his friend, Cullen’s voice, character and values would remain part of Optimus Prime.
What to expect from the cinema presentation
Paramount says the short will build on the visual style and storytelling of The Transformers: The Movie (1986). Its stated aim is to reconnect audiences with an important moment in the franchise’s history while looking towards its future on the big screen.
The 1986 film returns to cinemas on September 17, but Optimus Prime: Awakening will only be shown after selected screenings. Australian fans should check local cinema listings for participating venues and session details.
The combination of a remastered animated classic, a new story and Cullen’s final performance gives this limited theatrical event particular significance for long-time Transformers viewers. For fans bringing that interest into the games room, RETROCADE’s arcade machines and Arcade Machine Buying Guide offer further ways to explore the wider arcade hobby.
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