Your Guide To Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts
Dec 8, 2022
TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS
In 1984, the world saw the release of a new line of toys called Transformers, in reference to them being large, sentient, mechanical beings with the ability to pose as Earthly, man-made vehicles. Nearly four decades later, these robots in disguise are the stars of one of media’s most successful franchises, consisting of comic books, several animated TV shows and a series of movies which is continuing with TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS.
These blockbuster hits have experienced a few “transformations” of their own in the years since director Michael Bay first brought the war between the Autobots and Decepticons to life in live-action. This latest, upcoming installment is looking to be the “spark” of a new era for the franchise. To see why, take a look at this guide to everything we know so far about TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS – starting with when you can go to your nearest AMC Theatres location to check it out.
The first live-action installment of the TRANSFORMERS movie franchise was released in 2007 and went on to spawn five sequels – the most recent of which, BUMBLEBEE, came out in 2018. Half a decade later, we will see the release of the seventh installment, TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS, which is set to debut in theatres on June 9, 2023.
The film will be the second in the franchise to not be directed by Michael Bay after Travis Knight took the reins on BUMBLEBEE. At the helm this time – as Deadline reported in 2020 – is Steven Caple Jr., whose previous feature-length efforts include 2016’s THE LAND and CREED II from 2018. Also, RISE OF THE BEASTS will actually be his second time tackling an iteration of the Transformers franchise, having directed an episode of Nickelodeon’s animated series, “Transformers: Earthspark.”
When we said earlier that TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS might take the franchise into a new era, we meant that in a couple of different ways. The first explanation is that this movie, similar to how BUMBLEBEE took place in the late 1980s, is also a prequel, but is set in the following decade.
According to Variety, the film will take place in New York City in 1994. Also like BUMBLEBEE, it will serve as an origin story for one of the Autobots, this one being their leader, Optimus Prime, as he visits Earth for the very first time.
Another way that TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS will mark a turning point for the franchise is by introducing a new “species” of robots into the mix. As USA Today reported in 2021, the film will mark the live-action, cinematic debut of the heroic Maximals and the antagonistic Predacons and Terrorcons.
These descendents of the Autobots and Decepticons, instead of disguising themselves as earthly machines, change from their robotic forms into giant warriors that resemble common animals – such as the Maximals leader, Optimus Primal, whose “Beast Mode” is a Gorilla. The “wild” robots first appeared in Transformers lore in “Beast Wars” – a CGI animated spin-off of the original “Transformers” series that debuted in the mid-1990s and was later directly followed by “Beast Machines.”
Providing a relatable atmosphere to the TRANSFORMERS movies has been a human ensemble and leading it this time is HAMILTON and IN THE HEIGHTS star Anthony Ramos. Other live-action, human members of the TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS cast include Dominique Fishback, who is known for JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH, and “Dexter” star Luna Lauren Velez, who revealed to ComicBook.com that she is playing the mother of Ramos’ character.
Of course, the real stars here are still the robots, who will be voiced by a franchise veteran – Peter Cullen reprising the role of Optimus Prime – as well as newcomers, such as Ron Perlman as Optimus Primal. Also lending their voices – according to Deadline – are Michelle Yeoh as Airazor, Pete Davidson as Mirage, Peter Dinklage as Scourge, Liza Koshy as Arcee, John DiMaggio as Stratosphere, David Sobolov as Rhinox/Battletrap, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez as Nightbird, Cristo Fernández as Wheeljack and Tobe Nwigwe as Reek.
You can get a taste of what wild, action-packed shenanigans you can expect to take place in this upcoming summer blockbuster by checking out the official trailer for TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS. Watch the teaser here below:
Usually, in the majority of the TRANSFORMERS movies, the metal-on-metal, centerpiece battle of the final act takes place in a city and involves mass destruction of property. So, it is refreshing to see that some of the Autobots and Maximals’ conflict with the Predacons and Terrorcons will be in a more wide-open, natural area with less chance of human witnesses.
This certainly looks like just the movie that fans of the franchise have been waiting for. See for yourself when TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS hits AMC Theatres!
TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS
