Watch the trailer for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
The Transformers: Rise of the Beasts trailer is out. Paramount Pictures has dropped the trailer for the highly anticipated reboot, which promises a tone of metallic mayhem, based on the Beast Wars story. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. (Creed II), the film introduces the animal-like Maximals and Terrorcons in the world war, between the Autobots and the Decepticons. Set in the ’90s, the trailer offers the first look at Ron Pearlman’s Optimus Primal, the gorilla-like leader of the Maximals, who serves as a harbinger of bad news. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is expected to be released in June, next year.
The trailer for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opens with a series of warning title cards, as we are introduced to Brooklyn, New York in the ’90s. “Over millions of years, our world has changed. But something else has woken up,” it reads, before entering a dense jungle inhabited by the aforementioned gorilla Optimus Primal (Pearlman), who tries to scare off two hikers. Hot on his trail is fan favorite Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen), who comes out with a loaded mini-gun, intent on protecting them.
“It’s not me who should be afraid of Prime. There’s darkness coming,” Primal tries to reason with him. “Of all the threats in your past and future, you’ve never faced anything like this.” The Maximals are the technical offspring of the Autobots – the heroes of the series – and although the trailer never says it outright, the exchange of dialogue gives the impression that they are from the future.
The trailer for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts then takes a brief look at Bumblebee, who last got an eponymous film in 2018, starring Hailee Steinfeld, and now sports an updated design to match the retro theme. However, this time, the human friend is Noah (Anthony Ramos), who is disturbed when his car, with the new logo of the Autobots, starts turning on its own and creates many deceptive holograms to avoid the police. As you might have guessed from their skill set, Noah works with Mirage, the robot killed off in 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon. This new version of the reboot is voiced by Pete Davidson (Suicide Squad), who takes over from Francesco Quinn (Platoon), who died a week after the release of the 2011 film.
A few action shots offer glimpses of the soaring pelican Airazor (Michelle Yeoh), the cheetah Cheetor, and iconic lady Autobot Arcee (Liza Koshy), who appears to be clinging to a Volkswagen van to slide down the freeway and block any missiles. His human counterpart was revealed at the end of the trailer for Transformer: Rise of the Beasts – Elena, portrayed by Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Dark Messiah), who, naturally, was afraid of the Cyberdonian at first. “This can’t be real, this can’t be real,” he whispers to himself in fear.
Despite being billed as a reboot, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts works as a sequel to 2018. A bee, for the seventh film in the Transformers franchise, Michael Bay—who helmed the first five films with Shia LaBeouf—returns as producer. The film also stars the voices of Peter Dinklage as Scourge, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez as Nightbird, and David Sobolov as Battletrap.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is scheduled to hit theaters on June 9, 2023.
