While initial news of a “Transformers” animated movie sparked little excitement among the general public, “Transformers One” has quickly become one of the most anticipated releases of 2024. Early reviews from critics already hail it as one of the year’s best animated films, if not the absolute best of them all.
The picture takes audiences deep into the origins of this universe, focusing on the early relationship between Optimus Prime and Megatron, and how their choices forever altered the fate of Cybertron. Boasting a stellar voice cast, the title features A-list stars like Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Brian Tyree Henry, and more.
Carefully crafted over nearly a decade, the project has been in the works since 2015 when Paramount Pictures aimed to build on the success of “Transformers: Age of Extinction”. Now that “Transformers One” has finally come to fruition, fans are eagerly speculating whether more animated installments could follow.
Will there be more animated ‘Transformers One’ films in the future?
As widely recognized, blockbuster franchises like “Transformers” rarely have a definitive end. Still, fans are eager for details about the future of the beloved universe born from Hasbro’s iconic toy line. Fortunately, there’s promising news: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, one of the franchise’s most influential producers, recently revealed to Collider that there are very positive discussions about turning “Transformers One” into a trilogy.
According to Bonaventura, the plan for these future installments is already quite specific and detailed. In June, he confirmed that the storyline is mapped out to show the characters’ evolution, ultimately bridging the gap between “Transformers One” and the live-action film series.
For example, Chris Hemsworth’s portrayal of Optimus Prime is set to evolve into the iconic leader voiced by Peter Cullen in previous productions, with the transition between the two voices making sense within the narrative.
However, before fans get too excited, Bonaventura reminded everyone that a “Transformers One” sequel will only happen if the title proves successful at the box office—though that seems likely given the achievements of its predecessors.
To date, the “Transformers” film series ranks as the 14th-highest-grossing franchise of all time, with a total of $5.28 billion earned across seven installments. Notably, “Dark of the Moon” and “Age of Extinction” each grossed over $1 billion. Will “Transformers One” achieve the same level of success? Only time will tell, but with strong pre-sales, a sequel already seems within reach.