Summary
Transformers Oneproducer Lorenzo di Bonaventura explains why the upcoming film is not live-action atSan Diego Comic-Con2024.Transformers Oneis an original story film that chronicles the rise of Optimus Prime and Megatron, as they grow up together as friends, before becoming the enemies they are known as later in the series.Transformers Oneis set for release on September 20.
Per a San Diego Comic-Con panel whereScreen Rantwas in attendance, di Bonaventura explains whyTransformers Oneis not live-action. According to the producer,Transformers Onewould have been far too expensive to make in live-action. Di Bonaventura made a hyperbolic guess that the film would have “probably cost $500 million” if made in live-action. The producer also noted that “there’s no human characters,” further pushing the team into live-action. Check out the quote from di Bonaventura below:
If we tried to do this live action, it would probably cost $500 million. We were forced into animation. … There’s no human characters.
Why This Transformers Decision Is Promising
The Series Has Plenty Of Animated Success
Di Bonaventura’s statement atSan Diego Comic Concan be taken as a promising sign for the production. If a live-action version of the story would have cost that much money, it suggests that the scale of the story is vast for the upcoming movie. TheTransformers Onetrailers already hint at part of this scale, showing glimpses of the Transformers' visages and the action sequences between the Autobots and Decepticons. Based on di Bonaventura’s statement, one can expect even grander action from the full film.
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Making an animated feature version ofTransformersmay also be a good way for the franchise to reset the slump they have been in during recent years. Of the last fiveTransformersfilms, only one (Bumblebee) has gotten a fresh Rotten Tomatoes score. Others have reached franchise lows, including 2017’sTransformers: The Last Knight, which was the worst-reviewed film of the franchise, at a 16% score by critics. By venturing into a new visual style,Transformers Onecan help reinvent the franchise and hopefully curb the Rotten Tomatoes score along the way.
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Transformers Oneis also not theTransformersfranchise’s first foray into animation. The franchise previously released the animated seriesTransformers: Animated, which ran for three seasons from 2007 to 2009. This series was well-liked by audiences, who gave it an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Between the large scale promised, and the opportunities granted by a new format, hopefully the animated medium will be a good return to roots for theTransformersfranchiseupon the release ofTransformers One.
Transformers One
Cast
Transformers One is an animated action-adventure movie that marks the first animated feature-length film for the series in decades. The film will be a prequel to the franchise, and will tell the story of Optimus Prime and Megatron in their early years, how they met, and a closer look at the war on their home planet, Cybertron.
