Sequels Transformers One Animated Film

[Pennywise]

Paramount/Hasbro Toy Story 4 Josh Cooley Direct Animated Transformers – Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: Hasbro’s entertainment studio eOne and Paramount have quietly hired Josh Cooley — fresh off winning an Oscar for Best Animated Film for Toy Story 4 — to direct a big scale Transformers theatrical prequel that sources said focuses on an origin story. It takes place on Cybertron, the planet from which the good-guy and bad-guy robots came from. The film revolves around the relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron.

The script was written by Andrew Barrer & Gabriel Ferrari, the scribes who did production work on Ant-Man and were the credited writers on Ant-Man and the Wasp. Hasbro/eOne is running point on the production of this film.

The film is separate and apart from the live action Transformers film series and the Bumblebee spinoff, and those movies continue on a fast track. But as studios take stock of restarting production, it is becoming clear that making a big scale animated feature is easier than a live action tent pole because so much of the work can be done while respecting social distancing. That is an issue in the acceleration of the Transformers animated film. Cooley is overseeing a final draft with the writers now.

Those scribes have been working on the animated film for several years; going back to when they joined a writers room meant to expand the Transformers universe.

Producers are expected to be Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Mark Vahradian and Hasbro/eOne.

 

[TheWiseGuy487]

Was pretty excited at first. Then, I remembered something about John Lasseter being hired at Paramount or something.

So, I did a little digging. Turns out, he was hired as the head of Skydance Animation in January of last year. If I had to guess, it’s probably the same production house in charge of this film. There was some resistance from people in charge about the hire, but who knows if anything came of it.

Also, keep in mind Josh Cooley, the director of this film, is also a Pixar alum and directed the last Toy Story film, a property that was also Lasseter’s baby. If John Lasseter is still in play, suddenly, Cooley being hired on this project makes a lot of sense.

Man, I really hope the Lasseter thing still isn’t the case, and that Cooley isn’t someone that was in cahoots with his sexual harrassment during his tenure at Pixar. That would really extinguish my excitement for this.

 

[Pennywise]

Was pretty excited at first. Then, I remembered something about John Lasseter being hired at Paramount or something.

So, I did a little digging. Turns out, he was hired as the head of Skydance Animation in January of last year. If I had to guess, it’s probably the same production house in charge of this film. There was some resistance from people in charge about the hire, but who knows if anything came of it.

Also, keep in mind Josh Cooley, the director of this film, is also a Pixar alum and directed the last Toy Story film, a property that was also Lasseter’s baby. If John Lasseter is still in play, suddenly, Cooley being hired on this project makes a lot of sense.

Man, I really hope the Lasseter thing still isn’t the case, and that Cooley isn’t someone that was in cahoots with his sexual harrassment during his tenure at Pixar. That would really extinguish my excitement for this.

That sucks, if that turns out to be the case.

 

[TheWiseGuy487]

That sucks, if that turns out to be the case.

I’m really hoping it isn’t, and that Lasseter was already axed and it just hasn’t been reported at all, but, with his hiring last year at Paramount’s animation division, and Cooley being put on this project, it makes way too much sense for him to be hired as director just because he’s the right man for the job.

Most likely, Lasseter knew about Cooley because of his previous work at Pixar, notably Toy Story (for obvious reasons), probably even knew him personally, liked what he saw, had a conversation, and then hired him. The fact that Lasseter’s past harassment charges are very much public knowledge, and yet Cooley still voluntarily signed on for this film, tells me a lot about his character and his willingness to look the other way.

In short, one step forward, two steps back.

 

[Pennywise]

 

[Pennywise]

Also found this article from several months ago on the release date:

New 'Transformers' Animated Movie Release Date Set For 2024

Paramount has announced that there is a new untitled animatedTransformers' movie on the way with a release date of July 19, 2024. It's unclear if this is the previously announced Josh Cooley-directed prequel.

 

[Pennywise]

Here’s What the New Animated ‘Transformers’ Movie Is About [Exclusive]

 

[TheWiseGuy487]

Here’s What the New Animated ‘Transformers’ Movie Is About [Exclusive]

You know, I’m usually down on Lorenzo di Bonaventura and how he usually talks in interviews about Transformers and runs things behind the scenes of those films, but that interview was…surprisingly very candid and straightforward. It actually kinda got me a little bit more excited for this. Wonder what kind of artstyle this film is going to have? Will it be more traditional CG, Pixar style animation, or will it take more inspiration from stuff like ITSV or Puss in Boots?

And, posters on TFW2005, once again, overreacting and getting mad at stuff they think he said without actually reading the interview. I swear, a lot of those people nitpick or get mad just about anything Transformers related nowadays.

Still not wild about the whole John Lasseter connection to this, since he is the head of Skydance Animation, the studio that’s animating this.

 

[Pennywise]

The New 'Transformers' Animated Movie Is Partnering With an Industry Giant for the CGI [Exclusive]

During the interview, Weintraub asked how the team was approaching the look of the new film and the style that it will be striving for, to which di Bonaventura said, "Having seen probably four shots from it, you've never seen anything like it, I'll say it that way. For sure, you'll go, “Oh my God, it's a whole thing.” I'm not sure if I'm supposed to divulge it, but I'm going to. ILM is doing the animation." Weintraub followed up by talking about ILM’s incredible work, to which di Bonaventura brought up the aforementioned Rango. "Yes, they won an Oscar, Rango. When you think about the quality of that, whether Rango is your favorite movie or you don't like it, the quality of it was like, wow, right? So, we are reaching for something very spectacular." Bonaventura continued by explaining why the team is such a great fit for their vision for Cybertron, saying:

"You know, I think one of the difficulties in the past, for instance, in rendering Cybertron is, if you have to try to create the whole planet, it gets really expensive. So when you look at the intro in the beginning of Bumblebee, or in [Michael Bay's] movies, we have different versions of it. This thing has to be a living, breathing environment, and so we have to create an environment that is unique to Cybertron, and given the history of Primus and all the things that go behind it, we're allowed to inhabit, if you would, the planet in a way you couldn't do it in live-action. Thankfully, ILM is a great partner in that."

 

[Sawyer]

So Skydance isn’t involved?

 

[TheWiseGuy487]

So Skydance isn’t involved?

Man, considering John “Mr. Lot’s-o’-Grabbin’”Lasseter’s involvement with that company, I really hope not.

 

[Pennywise]

 

[Sawyer]

Just wildly different talent levels in animation vs. live action.

 

[Pennywise]

Paramount Sets ‘Transformers One’ Animated Feature With Hemsworth, Johansson – Deadline

Paramount Animation, Hasbro and eOne are teaming on the first-ever animated Transformers movie, now titled Transformers One. Directed by Josh Cooley and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the origins story’s key voice cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Jon Hamm and Laurence Fishburne. Release is scheduled for July 19, 2024.

The film will tell the story of how a young Optimus Prime (Hemsworth) and Megatron (Henry) went from being brothers-in-arms to sworn enemies. Johansson is voicing Elita, Key will be Bumblebee, Hamm is Sentinel Prime and Fishburne portrays Alpha Trion.

 

[Arachnerd]

If I had a nickel every time a Hollywood Chris was miscast voicing a childhood favorite character, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice.

Did Hasbro just look at what Illumination tried and wanted to do a one-up in terms of perplexing casting choices (for the most part at least; Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion is terrific casting)?

 

[Primal Slayer]

Why do they feel the need to waste money on a star studed cast instead of getting voice actors for these parts? I'll never understand when it comes to these big franchises that do not need huge celebs.

 

[TheWiseGuy487]

Why do they feel the need to waste money on a star studed cast instead of getting voice actors for these parts? I'll never understand when it comes to these big franchises that do not need huge celebs.

Well, the short and simple answer is, and you’re not gonna like it: big names in movies get peoples’ butts in seats.

The long answer: a big part of why these kinds of movies do so well at the box office is because of the actors attached to them. Parents and their kids are pretty familiar with certain actors in the kinds of things that they like and watch, and if that actor is in another thing, they’re more likely to go see it. As unpopular as the Chris Pratt casting in Super Mario Bros. Movie was, it got tons of people talking. And the decision to cast Jack Black as Bowser, as well as having him sing a song that went super viral on the Internet, went over really well. As for the box office, the results speak for themselves.

As much as I and the rest of us have our favorite voice actors and treat them as them as these great big celebrities who are super well-known all over the globe, the general populace doesn’t think that. Say, for example, David Kaye had been announced as the voice of Optimus prime. We, of course, would be excited, but everyone else in the world would be like, “Who?”. You cast someone like Chris Hemsworth, though, and everyone else is like, “Oh, yeah! I know that guy! I love him as Thor! I want to go see this film!”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I like it. In fact, I kind of hate it and wish things were different. Hopefully, somehow, in the future, that changes.

 

[Sithborg]

If I had a nickel every time a Hollywood Chris was miscast voicing a childhood favorite character, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it's happened twice.

Did Hasbro just look at what Illumination tried and wanted to do a one-up in terms of perplexing casting choices (for the most part at least; Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion is terrific casting)?

I am willing to bet they couldn't get Chris Pratt.

 

[Primal Slayer]

Well, the short and simple answer is, and you’re not gonna like it: big names in movies get peoples’ butts in seats.

The long answer: a big part of why these kinds of movies do so well at the box office is because of the actors attached to them. Parents and their kids are pretty familiar with certain actors in the kinds of things that they like and watch, and if that actor is in another thing, they’re more likely to go see it. As unpopular as the Chris Pratt casting in Super Mario Bros. Movie was, it got tons of people talking. And the decision to cast Jack Black as Bowser, as well as having him sing a song that went super viral on the Internet, went over really well. As for the box office, the results speak for themselves.

As much as I and the rest of us have our favorite voice actors and treat them as them as these great big celebrities who are super well-known all over the globe, the general populace doesn’t think that. Say, for example, David Kaye had been announced as the voice of Optimus prime. We, of course, would be excited, but everyone else in the world would be like, “Who?”. You cast someone like Chris Hemsworth, though, and everyone else is like, “Oh, yeah! I know that guy! I love him as Thor! I want to go see this film!”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I like it. In fact, I kind of hate it and wish things were different. Hopefully, somehow, in the future, that changes.

Sorry but not in this case. Mario would've been JUST as big if it didnt have Chris Pratt voicing him vs. someone less well known.

All those animated Disney movies that didnt have big names behind them somehow managed to be successful. Transformers has been successful without star studded cast

 

[Pennywise]

 

[Pennywise]

 

[MadVillainy]

Don't get the dislike for the idea of Chris Hemsworth as Optimus. He has a deep enough voice and is a good actor. In theory he should be fine

 

[Pennywise]

 

[Chris B]

Don't get the dislike for the idea of Chris Hemsworth as Optimus. He has a deep enough voice and is a good actor. In theory he should be fine

I can see the vision with him. I have a harder time imagining Brian Tyree Henry as Megatron but I'm keeping an open mind.

 

[Arnold Rimmer]

I'm absolutely stoked for this. Our first fully-animated theatrical Transformers movie since 1986, directed by a Pixar vet, and ILM's animating it. Really want people to hype this up. This is what you guys been wanting for a long time: a Transformers movie with NO humans in it!

Remember: the last animated movie ILM did was Rango. And look how good that was.