A new featurette released in anticipation of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts finds voice acting icon Peter Cullen reflecting on bringing Optimus Prime to life for so many years. Coming courtesy of the Transformers Twitter account, Cullen reveals the advice he was given by his brother before his very first audition, who told him to “be strong enough to be gentle.”
"When I voiced Prime for the very first time, I was living with my brother Larry, who was a Marine. I said, "I'm going to an audition. I'm gonna be a truck.' And he started to laugh and he said, 'A truck?!' And I said, 'This is a leader. This is a hero.' And his demeanor just changed. He just went, 'Peter. If you're going to be a leader, be strong enough to be gentle.' And I got to the audition and I said, 'My name is Optimus Prime, from the planet Cybertron.' I had no doubt that this is what a hero should sound like, and I was convinced I was gonna get that role."
Peter Cullen has become synonymous with the role of Optimus Prime since voicing the character in first Transformers animated series way back in 1984. Since then, Cullen has played the beloved role across the franchise, from the small screen to the big screen. Cullen went on to praise the latest outing, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, declaring that it has "the same ingredients that were there at the beginning.”
"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has the same ingredients that were there at the beginning. There's that integrity, there's a dignity, there's courage. It's an honor to be able to do this character. I've talked to a lot of people who grew up with Transformers, and I don't take them for granted. I love you guys."
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Early Reactions Praise the Prequel
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will act as a sequel/prequel/and semi-reboot, picking up in 1994 Brooklyn. The latest adventure follows Noah, an ex-military electronics expert, and Elena, an artifact researcher, who are both swept up in a three-way conflict between the Maximals, Predacons and Terrorcons as they aid Optimus Prime and the Autobots in a war to protect Earth from Unicron's arrival.
Directed by Steven Caple Jr., Transformers: Rise of the Beasts stars Peter Cullen alongside In the Heights star Anthony Ramos and Judas and the Black Messiah star Dominique Fishback. The rest of the cast includes Lauren Vélez, Tobe Nwigwe, Michelle Yeoh, Pete Davidson, Liza Koshy, Cristo Fernández, John DiMaggio, David Sobolov, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Peter Dinklage, and Hellboy star Ron Perlman as Optimus Primal, the leader of the Maximals.
Early reactions have praised Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, with many calling it the one of the best installments in the long-running franchise. “Happy to say #Transformers #RiseOfTheBeasts is one of the best installments in the franchise,” says one critic. “It’s a lot of fun, CGI looks great, and it has well staged action that’s easy to follow. The screening I saw actually had people clapping in the theater and the kids laughed a lot.”
Another adds that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts “was a blast! The Beast Wars crew finally shows up in what's arguably the BEST Transformers movie in the run. There's a lot of heart, humor, and Brooklyn pride in here; and it all makes for throwback popcorn fun.”
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is scheduled to be released in the United States on June 9, 2023, by Paramount Pictures.