‘The Transformers: The Movie’ Returns to Theaters for 2 Days in Celebration of Its 35th Anniversary
It’s been 35 years since The Transformers: The Movie delighted young 80s movie fans in theaters across the country. Now, in celebration of the animated feature’s anniversary, fans will have a chance to take a nostalgic look back.
‘The Transformers: The Movie’ had an all-star cast
The movie hit theaters in the late summer of 1986 – the exact date was August 8. And the cast was worthy of the red-hot popularity of the rising Transformers toy and movie empire.
Screen legend Orson Welles (Citizen Kane) appeared in the final performance of his life. He memorably voiced supervillain Unicron. Iconic voice actor Peter Cullen was Autobots leader Optimus Prime, opposite Frank Welker’s Megatron.
Rounding out the cast were 80s heartthrob Judd Nelson of The Breakfast Club, Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame, and Eric Idle of Monty Python. Casey Kasem, Robert Stack, and Scatman Crothers also appeared as voice actors in the film.
Beloved “good guy” Autobots regularly defend their fictional planet, Cybertron, against invasions from Megatron and the Decepticons. They miss signals that a dangerous new threat is zeroing in on them because they are locked in battle against each other.
The movie was known for being darker than the two seasons of kids’ episodes that preceded it.
21 years after the animated film, a live-action franchise debuted
Traditional animation offered fans of the Transformers mythology unlimited sci-fi/action possibilities. It wasn’t until 2007 that advancements in special effects allowed for a mind-blowing live-action experience for the now-grown children of the 80s.
Transformers starred then-emerging superstars Shia LeBeouf as Sam Witwicky and Megan Fox as Mikaela Banes. Michael Bay directed. The state-of-the-art effects stunned fans. The movie subsequently grossed over $700 million at the box office that year.
Consequently, sequels were inevitable. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen followed shortly in 2009. Transformers: Dark of the Moon replaced Fox with Rosie Huntington as Shia LeBeouf’s love interest in 2011. Age of Extinction and The Last Knight followed in 2014 and 2017, respectively.
In addition, Bumblebee debuted a fresh approach with a female lead (Hailee Steinfeld) in 2018. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has a release date of June 24, 2022.
Fans can watch the original animated movie again
The franchise always seems to be looking ahead. Per Animation Magazine, fans now have a chance to take a nostalgic look back at an 80s animated favorite.
In honor of the movie’s 35th anniversary, Fathom Events and Hasbro present The Transformers: The Movie 35th Anniversary. The film will screen at theaters nationwide on Sunday, September 26, 2021 at noon. It will screen again on Tuesday, September 28 at 7:00 PM.
“Fathom is thrilled to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the release of The Transformers: The Movie in partnership with Hasbro,” reads a statement by Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt. “It’s exciting to give the fans of this cult classic an opportunity to see this film on the big screen, the way it was meant to be seen.”
An additional statement from Hasbro’s Adam Biehl called the celebration a “milestone.” In short, it will be a chance to see it again properly.
“We look forward to bringing families and fans back to the theaters for this milestone Transformers anniversary,” said Biehl, SVP & GM, Action Brands at Hasbro, Inc. “With thanks to our Fathom partners, Autobots and Decepticons of all ages will be treated to a one-of-a-kind movie experience celebrating this beloved animated film.”
