New Transformers Movie: Optimus Prime Awakening coming soon to theaters
In this animated adventure, Peter Cullen voices the title character one last time
Fans can look forward to a new "Transformers" adventure. The 12-minute animated short film "Optimus Prime: Awakening" is set to hit the big screen soon – following the 1986 animated classic "The Transformers: The Movie," which is returning to theaters for its 40th anniversary. So viewers should definitely stay in their seats after the credits roll on "The Transformers: The Movie."
In "The Transformers: The Movie," the Autobots face off not only against the Decepticons but also against Unicron – a being of colossal proportions that devours planets. The animated adventure became a cult classic that enjoys a truly legendary reputation among "Transformers" fans. "Optimus Prime: Awakening" will likely tie into the events of the 1980s film and focus on the title character, Optimus Prime. On September 17, 2026, "The Transformers: The Movie," including the short film, will be released – though only for a short time and only in select theaters. You can get a glimpse of "The Transformers: The Movie" in the trailer:
Hear Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime one last time
What makes "Optimus Prime: Awakening" special: In the short film, Peter Cullen can be heard one last time in the role of Optimus Prime, as reported by the website ScreenRant. Cullen, who passed away just recently at the age of 85, had lent his voice to the Transformers hero time and again over the course of decades. He first voiced Optimus Prime in the 1980s animated series. And in the later feature films about the alien robots – mostly directed by Michael Bay – Cullen also provided the voice for the beloved character.
Throughout his long career, Cullen provided the voices for numerous characters in various films and series. Among other roles, he provided the sounds for King Kong in the 1976 remake and was responsible for the eerie clicking noises coming from the monster's mouth in the 1987 film "Predator." Most recently, he took on a recurring role as the voice of the character Thaedus in the superhero animated series "Invincible." However, Cullen was associated with no role quite as much as he was with that of Optimus Prime. It's all the more wonderful, then, that he was also involved in "Optimus Prime: Awakening," as the poster for the short film makes clear, with his name appearing in the credits:
Heartfelt words
Alongside Cullen's name is that of Frank Welker, who returns as the voice of Megatron and Soundwave. He told ScreenRant:
"Optimus Prime and Megatron were made for each other. After all, one needs the perfect hero against the epitome of evil to create great drama. Peter's portrayal of Prime was born of his own personal beliefs; honesty, loyalty, and always insisting on doing the right thing. This made it easy to be friends. Returning as Megatron and Soundwave for one final story opposite Peter's Optimus in 'Optimus Prime: Awakening' was a real gift."
Many "Transformers" fans are likely to view the new short film about Optimus Prime as a gift as well. Who knows – maybe over time it will achieve a cult status similar to that of the animated classic "The Transformers: The Movie."
