Transformers One offers fans new insight into the beloved autobots and their planet Cybertron. Orion Pax and D-16 are best friends who dream of something more than working low-level jobs. When they, along with two new friends, Elita-1 and B-127, discover a dark truth about Cybertron, the fate of their world and their own futures is forever altered, leading to a split between them, with Orion Pax becoming Optimus Prime and D-16 becoming Megatron.
The animation style of Transformers One is dynamic and fluid while harkening back to the original action figures that captured fans' attention. Josh Cooley, a longtime Transformers fan, helmed the film as director from a script penned by Eric Pearson, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari as well as Lorenzo di Bonaventura acting as producer as he has for many other Transformers movies. Transformers One features a powerhouse voice cast with Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry leading the cast which includes Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, John Hamm, Laurence Fishburne, and Steve Buscemi.
Screen Rant caught up with Keegan-Michael Key to talk about his new animated movie, Transformers One. He explained why Bumblebee endears himself to fans. Key also shared his approach to crafting Bumblebee's voice and the collaboration process with Cooley when recording.
Bumblebee (AKA B-127) Has "Very Endearing Qualities," Including An "Unflinching Loyalty"
"I think that it's the kind of things that we admire in people and we would desire to see in ourselves."
Screen Rant: Transformers One is probably the perfect Transformers movie for both longtime fans and newcomers to the franchise. You play B-127, also known as Badassatron. We know him by his Autobot name Bumblebee. Bumblebee has had many roles throughout the years, from being the kid-friendly, sidekick, collaborator character in the original 1980s version of Transformers to the character that always has your back in the films. Tell us about what appeals the most about Bumblebee to audiences throughout the generations.
Keegan-Michael Key: I think what you just said about him in both those versions, the childhood version and the Michael Bay version, is that he had endearing qualities about him, very endearing qualities. There's this unflinching loyalty that he has.
There's also this kind of sense of him [being like, "I'm here." Like in the old movies in the thirties when they put on a play. "My uncle's got a barn, I've got some paint." He had that quality about him, and I think that it's the kind of things that we admire in people and we would desire to see in ourselves that you see in Bumblebee.
Keegan-Michael Key Was Mandated To Use "My Voice With No Affectation, No Change"
Now, your incarnation of Bumblebee is a much more comedic take on the character than we've seen before in Transformers lore. How did you approach the role and did you use any influence to draw inspiration from for the character?
Keegan-Michael Key: Well, I remember, I do remember Dan Gilvezan, who did the original voice of him from the 1984-1987 series, the cartoon series. There is a sense of kind of buoyancy, and I'm here to help. So that influenced me like a scoatch. But I was given the mandate by the director to really use my voice with no affectation, no change.
So I was doing everything I could to bring myself to the role and what is it that I would do in this situation? What would Keegan, how would Keegan behave in this situation? In a way, I tried to bend and mold lines and situations so that it would work to that effect.
Josh Cooley Brings "Fluidity" & Actor Collaboration To Transformers One
Fans will be interested to know that, "He's not a bad actor, that Josh Cooley."
I want to talk about Josh for a second because he is a Transformers fan, and you could see that right on the screen. He's a brilliant director. Talk to me about what Josh Cooley's directing style added to Transformers One.
Keegan-Michael Key: I think his style adds, and this is going to sound a little ethereal, but it adds like a fluidity to Transformers One. There's a sense, because I don't know about the other actors, but when I was with Josh, he's very collaborative and he's welcome to being open to ideas.
But the other thing is he wants to help the actor, so what I'd say to him, Hey, Josh, in this moment instead of just reading, I'll do these two lines and then these two lines, maybe in this section, can we read all of this dialogue as if it were a scene, as read it so I get a real rhythm, a real feel for it.
He would always, always oblige me in that way. It made my job easier in a way. As opposed to trying to stick all the context that you're trying to remember and then say that one line over and over again. He would let me run through, and he'd do the dialogue with me. And he's not a bad actor, that Josh Cooley.
More About Transformers One (2024)
Transformers One is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever.
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