Transformers: Rise of the Beasts: Release date, cast, plot for the 1990s Autobots movie

Everything you need to know as Optimus Prime returns to the big screen

Sam Moore
·4-min read

Watch: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts teaser trailer

Optimus Prime is back! It’s been a while, but the Autobots are returning to the big screen in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, for the first time since 2018’s Bumblebee. The last mainline Transformers movie was 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight, and this movie is designed to be a sort-of sequel to both.

The series has been humming along since 2007 and has never let almost universally bad reviews hinder its box-office takings with the franchise grossing almost $5 billion so far.

Cinema’s favourite pyromaniac Michael Bay was the original director of the series, overseeing all five original instalments with Steven Spielberg also on board as producer.

Read more: Directors who regretted their own movies

But it’s not been an easy ride to the Rise of the Beasts after Bumblebee underperformed at the box office leaving producers unsure which direction to go in.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount)
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount)

Two competing scripts were ordered with one by producer turned writer Joby Harrold winning out. Harold is no stranger to blockbuster filmmaking as he penned screenplays for Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur and has a story credit on the upcoming The Flash. He was also a writer and producer on Disney’s Obi-Wan Kenobi limited series.

Robots that haven’t been seen in the cinema before will be featured as the film takes inspiration from Beast Wars: Transformers, a 1996 TV show popular with die hard fans. So read on for everything we know so far about the new Transformers movie.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts release date

The teaser poster for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. (Paramount)
The teaser poster for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. (Paramount)

After a lengthy delay, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is now set to hit cinemas this summer on 9 June 2023.

That’s almost an entire year after its originally scheduled release date of 24 June 2022. Two sequels to follow are already in development.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts plot

Character poster for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. (Paramount)
Character poster for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. (Paramount)

Set seven years after the events of Bumblebee, Rise of the Beasts takes place in 1994 and will follow two archeologists who find themselves in the middle of an ancient war between the Autobots and three factions of Transformer: Maximals, Predacons and Terrorcons.

Read more: Megan Fox defends Michael Bay

A globe-trotting adventure, Rise of the Beasts will see its action take place in New York and Peru.

Who stars in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts?

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount)
Anthony Ramos in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. (Paramount)

Leading the human cast is Anthony Ramos as Noah Diaz, a Brooklyn based former military man who is an expert in electronics. Ramos is best known for his performances on stage in Hamilton and in the film adaptation of In the Heights.

Dominique Fishback will play Elena Wallace, an expert in artefacts who works at a museum and has to contend with a troublesome boss. Fishback won a Bafta nomination for her role in Judas and the Black Messiah and has also starred David Simon’s TV shows The Deuce and Show Me a Hero.

Former Dexter star Luna Lauren Velez plays the mother of Ramos’ character while the live action cast is rounded out by the Grammy nominated rapper Tobe Nwigwe

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (Paramount)
Pete Davidson is Mirage in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. (Paramount)
Character poster for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. (Paramount)
Mirage's character poster for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. (Paramount)

On the voice acting side of things, the legendary Peter Cullen returns to voice Optimus Prime, which he has done since the 1980’s.

The star-studded voice cast also includes Sons of Anarchy star Ron Perlman as Optimus Primal, the leader of the Maximals who can transform into a gorilla and Game of Thrones legend Peter Dinklage as Scourge, the head of the Terrorcons who can turn into a freight truck.

Character poster for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. (Paramount)
Optimus Primal's character poster for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. (Paramount)

Comedian Pete Davidson will voice Mirage while the newly Oscar nominated Michelle Yeoh will portray Airazor.

Who is directing Transformers: Rise of the Beasts?

American director Steven Caple Jr. attends the presentation of Creed 2 at Villa Magna Hotel in Madrid, 18 January, 2019. (Photo by BorjaB.Hojas/COOLMedia/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Steven Caple Jr. promoting Creed 2 in 2019. (Getty Images)

While Michael Bay looked after the first five installments and Travis Knight was behind Bumblebee, Steven Caple Jr is in the director’s chair for Rise of the Beasts.

Caple Jr is best known for directing Creed II starring Michael B Jordan, Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren. Before that he directed well-received indie drama The Land about a group of teenage skateboarders who become embroiled in a car heist.

A look down Caple Jr’s Instagram shows that production wrapped in October 2021.

Does Transformers: Rise of the Beasts have a trailer?

Yes. Paramount launched the teaser trailer for the new Transformers film on 1 December, 2022. A second Big Game Spot was released during the 2023 Super Bowl. Watch it below.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is in cinemas from 9 June.

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