The Transformers franchise returns with the upcoming Rise of the Beasts, starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, with the voice talents of Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Dinklage, Pete Davidson, and Cristo Fernández.
Rise of The Beasts unfolds in 1994, following the events of 2018's Bumblebee. For several years, Optimus Prime and the Autobots have marshalled their strength, awaiting the perfect moment to reclaim their home world from the invading Decepticons. The problem? The robots-in-disguise are stuck on Earth.
"Optimus comes across something that may help him, but he starts to butt heads with other people who want the same object," director Steven Caple Jr. tells SFX magazine in the latest issue, which features Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on the cover. "Everyone has a different motive and agenda. But ultimately, his main goal is to get back home and save his planet. Then we all realize that there's a bigger threat at large. Will he help save the Earth? You get to see Optimus become the Prime that we always knew."
Rise of The Beasts introduces a breed of Transformers known as Maximals, first seen on-screen in '90s animated series Beast Wars, to the movie franchise. These newcomers include the gorilla-shaped Optimus Primal.
"Then he meets other people along the way," Caple continues. "We have Optimus Primal, who is a very new character, who is also a leader. You see him clash with Optimus Prime a bit. We play him as someone who is wiser, for the time being. For the fans who do know the lore, there are some small nuggets in there in terms of Optimus Primal and who he is exactly and how he has heard about Optimus Prime. Without going into too much detail, they eventually run into each other and there is a lot of learning to be had and there is an arc between the two."
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Transformers: Rise of The Beasts is in cinemas from 8 June. That's just a snippet of our interview, available in the latest issue of SFX Magazine, which features Strange New Worlds season 2 on the cover and is available on newsstands from Wednesday, May 17. For even more from SFX, sign up to the newsletter, sending all the latest exclusives straight to your inbox.
