When the animated prequel film Transformers One releases next month, it will mark a major departure for the franchise. For the first time in the big screen history of Transformers, the lead character Optimus Prime will be voiced by someone other than Peter Cullen – Chris Hemsworth.
But the Australian actor, 41, who is best known for his role as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will not be taking the reins for Optimus Prime moving forward, series producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura tells The National.
According to him, the plan is for Hemsworth to only voice this character, who is called Orion Pax at first, in the prequel cartoons. However, he is also being eyed to play a GI Joe in the next live-action Transformers film, which will crossover with Hasbro’s other popular franchise, Di Bonaventura says.
“In the live-action, I’m hoping he’s in the GI Joe part of things. Peter Cullen will remain Optimus Prime in live action, but Chris would make a good GI Joe,” says Di Bonaventura. “Moving forward, the animated movies will be different from the world of live action. This is on a timeline that’s millions of years before the live action, so there’s never a conflict."
Peter Cullen, 83, who has voiced the character since the 1980s cartoons, will remain the star of the live-action films, Di Bonaventura confirms, which began with 2007’s Transformers and have spawned six successful sequels.
“Peter is a part of this franchise – there’s no way we’re abandoning him,” says Di Bonaventura. "The reason we needed a different voice for Optimus Prime in this film is it’s set before. It would sound weird if he sounded the same from the beginning – there needed to be evolution.
“We’re trying to take the character from a somewhat idealistic, slightly naive young man, into someone who is going to step into the leadership role of Optimus Prime. You need a different timbre to that voice. You need the youth of Chris. It’s not in any way a reflection on Peter – he’s just too old for it.”
The most recent film in the franchise, last year’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, introduced the world of GI Joe to the proceedings, promising a broader team-up in the next instalment. While that film has not been announced, it is currently in the works.
“We’re in the middle of the planning stage for the next live-action film, and we’ll probably get there for the next animated film not so far from now," Di Bonaventura says. "The trick of it is we don’t want to spend too much time explaining the two different worlds of Transformers and GI Joe, so it’s a balancing act. Do we limit the number of characters? How do we give enough taste of both without overwhelming things? That’s really where we’re at now."
While the story of Transformers One, which is set millions of years in the past and explores the origins of how the robots became the titular Transformers, will not directly lead into the next live-action film, it will affect the franchise moving forward.
“I don’t see them influencing each other than you learn lessons in one that may apply to the other,” says Di Bonaventura. "But the robots are very robust characters in Transformers One, and it’s going to force us to do something in live action from a story point of view.”
Part of the reason that the robots themselves have been difficult to flesh out to the level that they are in the coming animated film is purely logistical – namely, it’s just too expensive to keep them on screen for too long.
“In live action, we’re constantly saying: 'How much can we afford and still be creatively satisfying?'" says Di Bonaventura." Now I think one of the hard things for the live-action movies will be that you will have seen more fully developed robots, and therefore we’re going to have to figure out how to do that in live-action without breaking the bank."
Transformers One is set to screen in cinemas across the Middle East from September 19
The%20specs
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Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Company%20profile
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The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
SANCTIONED
- Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
- Petr Fradkov, head of recently sanctioned Promsvyazbank and son of former head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, the FSB.
- Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President of Russia's largest bank VTB. He is the son of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB which was responsible for the poisoning of political activist Alexey Navalny in August 2020 with banned chemical agent novichok.
- Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
- Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
Haircare resolutions 2021
From Beirut and Amman to London and now Dubai, hairstylist George Massoud has seen the same mistakes made by customers all over the world. In the chair or at-home hair care, here are the resolutions he wishes his customers would make for the year ahead.
1. 'I will seek consultation from professionals'
You may know what you want, but are you sure it’s going to suit you? Haircare professionals can tell you what will work best with your skin tone, hair texture and lifestyle.
2. 'I will tell my hairdresser when I’m not happy'
Massoud says it’s better to offer constructive criticism to work on in the future. Your hairdresser will learn, and you may discover how to communicate exactly what you want more effectively the next time.
3. ‘I will treat my hair better out of the chair’
Damage control is a big part of most hairstylists’ work right now, but it can be avoided. Steer clear of over-colouring at home, try and pursue one hair brand at a time and never, ever use a straightener on still drying hair, pleads Massoud.
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