After five films of robot-morphing mayhem (plus a spin-off), the Transformers are on the rise once again.
This time, however, the Autobots and Decepticons aren’t the only ones battling it out on Earth. Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts introduces not just one, but three new factions to the fray, with the Maximals, Terrorcons, and Predacons all joining the fight for this 1994-set prequel.
The film, which will be released in cinemas on June 9, features an all-star voice cast, including Ron Perlman as Maximals leader Optimus Primal, Pete Davidson as the Autobot Mirage, and Peter Dinklage as the Terrorcon leader Scourge.
Michelle Yeoh, Liza Koshy, Cristo Fernández, John DiMaggio, David Sobolov and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez all lend their voices to various Transformers as well.
As for Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots will once again be brought to life by a legendary voice.
Who voices Optimus Prime in the Transformers movies?
The franchise’s most iconic character has been voiced by Peter Cullen since the classic 1980s cartoon series, and he reprises the role once again for Rise Of The Beasts.
In a recent featurette for the film, Cullen shared his experience of voicing Prime for the very first time.
“I was living with my brother Larry, who was a Marine,” he said. “I said, ‘I’m going to an audition. I’m gonna be a truck.’ And he started to laugh and he said, ‘A truck?!’ And I said, ‘This is a leader. This is a hero.’ And his demeanour just changed. He just went, ‘Peter. If you’re going to be a leader, be strong enough to be gentle.’
“And I got to the audition and I said, ‘My name is Optimus Prime, from the planet Cybertron.’ I had no doubt that this is what a hero should sound like, and I was convinced I was gonna get that role.”
On returning to voice the character for the franchise’s latest film, he said: “Transformers: Rise Of the Beasts has the same ingredients that were there at the beginning. There’s that integrity, there’s a dignity, there’s courage. It’s an honour to be able to do this character. I’ve talked to a lot of people who grew up with Transformers, and I don’t take them for granted. I love you guys.”
In a three-star review of Rise Of The Beasts, NME wrote: “Director Steven Caple Jr. still delivers plenty of robot-a-robot smash-ups, but it’s nowhere near as endless/tedious as the Bay-era Transformers films.”
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