Current:Home > Contact'Transformers One': Chris Hemsworth embraces nostalgia as Optimus Prime -StockPrime
'Transformers One': Chris Hemsworth embraces nostalgia as Optimus Prime
View
Date:2025-04-22 23:41:06
SAN DIEGO – Everyone has an origin story, even “Transformers” arch rivals Optimus Prime and Megatron.
The animated adventure “Transformers One” (in theaters Sept. 20) goes back 3 billion years in franchise lore and acts as the origin story for the two most iconic transforming robots.
“How do two best friends become mortal enemies?” Chris Hemsworth says of the movie's plot during a Thursday presentation at Comic-Con, the pop-culture convention held at the San Diego Convention Center. The “Thor” actor was on hand to introduce clips and a new trailer with co-stars Keegan-Michael Key and Brian Tyree Henry.
Before they became Optimus and Megatron, they were Orion Pax (voiced by Hemsworth) and D-16 (Henry), two miners on the mechanical planet of Cybertron. They’re buds who can’t transform and get caught up in an adventure alongside two others: B-127 (Key) – who eventually becomes fan favorite Bumblebee – and Elita-1 (Scarlett Johansson).
Join our Watch Party!Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
“The origin story is incredibly rich and something we thought about for a very long time. If we tried to do this live action, it would probably cost $500 million,” says Lorenzo di Bonaventura, longtime producer of the “Transformers” movies.
Director Josh Cooley (“Toy Story 4”) was given a “Tolkien-length history” of “Transformers” to work with, he says. But he wanted the movie to have “the feeling of what it was like to play with the toys as a kid: nostalgia and joy.”
Hemsworth paid tribute to the “incredible” Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus across media since the 1980s. “The goal was never to mimic. This is the brash young cocky version of Optimus Prime, before he became the all-knowing, omnipresent figure we all know and love.”
Henry gave Megatron a sense of precociousness early on in the movie, so when he turned on Optimus, “you could feel the weight of it,” he says. “Once Megatron happens, damn, there’s no turning back now.
“The loss of friendship is something we all understand, and the idea of friendship is something we all can cherish.”
Cooley promises Easter eggs and familiar characters in “Transformers One” that throw back to 40 years of cartoons, toys and movies, and the supporting voice cast includes Jon Hamm (as Sentinel Prime), Laurence Fishburne (as Alpha Trion) and Steve Buscemi (as Starscream).
The three actors shared some of their own memories as kids. Henry recalled how his parents only bought him “the villain toys” like Megatron and He-Man baddie Skeletor growing up. Hemsworth said he had a few of the figures as a boy in Australia: “We did our best to pull them apart and reassemble them. We all failed, actually.”
And Key, who pleaded with his mom and to dad to let him watch the ‘80s show after school, led the crowd in singing the cartoon’s theme song. “Now we know who’s over 40,” he quipped.
veryGood! (869)
Related
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- There's a bit of good news about monkeypox. Is it because of the vaccine?
- Late-stage cervical cancer cases are on the rise
- Today’s Climate: May 3, 2010
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- Whatever happened to the baby shot 3 times in the Kabul maternity hospital bombing?
- 44 Mother's Day Gifts from Celebrity Brands: SKIMS, Rare Beauty, Fenty Beauty, Beis, Honest, and More
- How North West Saved Mom Kim Kardashian's Met Gala 2023 Dress
- Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
- Mother and daughter charged after 71-year-old grandmother allegedly killed at home
Ranking
- 'Vanderpump Rules' star DJ James Kennedy arrested on domestic violence charges
- Stressed out about climate change? 4 ways to tackle both the feelings and the issues
- At 988 call centers, crisis counselors offer empathy — and juggle limited resources
- Amazon's Limited-Time Pet Day Sale Has the Best Pet Deals to Shop From
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- Cisco Rolls Out First ‘Connected Grid’ Solution in Major Smart Grid Push
- Whatever happened to the Botswana scientist who identified omicron — then caught it?
- Young adults are using marijuana and hallucinogens at the highest rates on record
Recommendation
Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
From a March to a Movement: Climate Events Stretch From Sea to Rising Sea
Dancing With the Stars Is Quickstepping Back to ABC After Move to Disney+
EPA Finding on Fracking’s Water Pollution Disputed by Its Own Scientists
Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
Breaking This Met Gala Rule Means Celebs Won’t Get Invited Back
Kim Kardashian Defends Her American Horror Story Acting Role Amid Criticism
Boy, 3, dead after accidentally shooting himself in Tennessee