Transformers One Challenges What We Think We Know About Optimus Prime and Megatron

This article appears in the new issue of DEN OF GEEK magazine. You can read all of our magazine stories here.

Everybody knows Optimus Prime and Megatron are arch nemeses, and Transformers One director Josh Cooley used this knowledge to his advantage when making the fully animated origin story. The film is set on Cybertron before the Autobot-Decepticon Civil War ravaged the planet, and Optimus and Megatron—young miners called Orion Pax and D-16, respectively—are the furthest thing from mortal enemies: they’re brothers in arms.

“The audience knows that they’re going to become enemies, so I wanted them to start their arc as best friends,” Cooley tells Den of Geek magazine. “If we can get you to love these two characters together in act one, then you’re really going to feel it when the relationship falls apart.”

Lending their voices to the film are Chris Hemsworth (Optimus Prime/Orion Pax), Brian Tyree Henry (D-16/Megatron), Scarlett Johansson (Elita-1), and Keegan-Michael Key (B-127/Bumblebee). The four form a bond as they venture to Cybertron’s surface for the first time, and together, they are bestowed the ability to transform. 

We know who Orion Pax and D-16 go on to become, and that reality looms over the entire film. But does the movie simply show how the cracks formed in their friendship ultimately led to them becoming sworn enemies, or do we get to see them have a full-on break-up brawl? Understandably, Cooley isn’t keen on revealing the extent of the conflict that arises between the besties. But he does insist that, while the film is meant to be fun for the whole family, we also get to see some serious, intense drama that erupts between them that has, so far, left the test audiences stunned.

“You are going to feel the conflict,” Cooley teases. “It’s very clear where we’re headed by the end of the film. The third act is epic. I saw it with a test audience, and they were left completely silent and still. As a director, seeing that gave me chills.”

As the first Transformers animated movie focused entirely on the robots, Transformers One marks a decisive tone shift for the franchise on the big screen. But fans of the original Hasbro toys and Generation 1 animated show should feel right at home. “The G1 series was a really fun show, and I wanted to bring that fun back,” Cooley says.

Part of getting back to the roots of the franchise meant using the power of animation to create a bright and vibrant movie that was more dazzling and less gritty than its live-action predecessors. Because the story takes place billions of years in the past, Cybertron is still a healthy, colorful planet made of all matter of metals and constantly transforming, like plate tectonics on steroids. 

For Cooley, scale has always been a hallmark of the franchise, and while there are no human characters in the movie to crane their necks up at the 30-foot-tall heroes, the artists achieved a sense of scale in a different way by focusing on the sheer size of Cybertron. “Everything is gigantic compared to the characters,” Cooley explains. “And they’ve never been on the surface before, so it’s all new to them and the audience.”

Another advantage of going full animation was that, unlike the live-action films, the robots didn’t need to look photorealistic, with every nut and bolt rendered meticulously. The designs are closer in spirit to the G1 cartoon, which meant that the characters could be far more emotive with their faces and animations. This was something Cooley felt was crucial to the film’s success. “That was really important to me,” he says of the creative decision. “I talked to [VFX and animation studio] ILM early on and told them I needed these characters to be able to emote and act without saying a word. Some scenes are heartbreaking—the animators did a wonderful job.”

Whether you’re a long-time Transformers fan or completely new to the franchise, Transformers One was designed to be enjoyed by all. “I wanted to make sure that even people like my parents who don’t know the deep lore could follow the story,” Cooley says. There are certainly Easter eggs scattered throughout the film (like glimpses at some of the early Primes), but Cooley was mindful to only include lore that supported the heart of the story.

Most importantly, Cooley stresses that Transformers One was made by fans, for fans.

“My entire crew and I grew up with Transformers,” he says. “The animators would fight over which Transformers they got to work on, and there was just so much excitement among everyone. I think that comes through in the film.”

Transformers One opens on Sept. 20.