the saga gets a makeover with an animated film prequel

To renew itself more than 15 years after the first episode of the series, the saga Transformers returns with a prequel [épisode d’une série dont l’action se situe avant celle des épisodes précédents] in animated film, Transformers 4: The Beginning which is released in France on Wednesday October 23. To make it, the production team, which included Steven Spielberg, called on one of the big names from the Pixar animation studios, notably author of Toy Story 4.

In this new film, already released in the United States, director Josh Cooley revisits the origins of Optimus Prime and Megatron. He intends to revive a franchise inspired by Hasbro toys, which grossed more than $5 billion in seven films, but was beginning to run out of steam more than 15 years after the first film by Michael Bay.

In animation, the film plunges the viewer into the heart of Cybertron, long before the Autobots and Decepticons clash in an epic war. This prequel looks at the complex relationship between Optimus Prime, then called Orion Pax, and Megatron, known as D-16. Their friendship, built on common ideals, gradually turns into rivalry, marking the start of a conflict.

After eighteen years at Pixar and successes like Toy Story 4 (2019), film which won the Oscar for best animated film, or the screenplay for Vice versa (2015), the American director and screenwriter was keen to “surpass oneself“, to bring “real movement and character on screen, like we’ve never done before.“

Other franchises have successfully relied on animated versions in recent years, based on the model of Spiderman: New GenerationOscar winner in 2019. For Josh Cooley, who at 45 says he knows the Transformers since childhood, this film represents more than just an addition to previous episodes. “Franchise films are often seen as lacking creativity, but I think this is a different kind of creativity“, he confided to AFP.

“Transformers: The Beginningt” doesn’t just tell the story of a war, it explores universal themes such as betrayal, honor, and the price one pays for one’s beliefs: “This is the most human story we’ve ever told with Transformers“, he explains.

With a budget of $150 million, the film, which mixes drama and comedy, is a visually impressive action blockbuster. The French voices are entrusted to the very popular Philippe Lacheau and Audrey Fleurot, respectively Orion Pax and Elita-1.

In the original version, the latter is embodied by the voice of Scarlett Johansson, a strong female figure, a deliberate choice by Cooley to rebalance representation in a historically masculine universe.

“There were very few female characters in Transformers in its early days. I was very happy to include Elita among the main characters, I wanted to push this diversity further by ensuring that half of the population was female.“, underlines the director. “I wanted us to have the impression of a rich and complete population, like our world” he adds.