Transformers fans have embraced the opportunity to give Optimus Prime a proper tribute.
Marking the 40th anniversary of animated feature The Transformers: The Movie initially launching in August 1986, Hasbro and Fathom Entertainment teamed up for the theatrical rerelease, billed as a one-week opportunity that began Sept. 17, known as Transformers Day. The response for The Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary has surpassed initial projections, as the remastered 4K animated film hit No. 7 on the weekend domestic chart with $3.1 million from 1,454 North American locations. It has crossed $5 million globally as of Tuesday.
The playful marketing strategy included Hasbro branding the film’s yearlong anniversary celebration as “The Apology Tour,” referencing the first act’s shocking death for beloved hero Optimus Prime. The rerelease also allows fans to pay respects to Peter Cullen — the longtime voice of the character — who died last month at age 85. Cullen delivers his final performance in the 12-minute animated short Optimus Prime: Awakening, a theatrical exclusive that screens following the 1986 movie.
“We’re thrilled at Fathom, but we also had high expectations,” Fathom Entertainment vp of marketing Shannah Miller tells The Hollywood Reporter. “This has been an extraordinary partnership with Hasbro. They kicked off the Apology Tour in honor of the 40th anniversary of the film, which also then means the early death of Optimus Prime, 26 minutes into the film.”
The Transformers: The Movie
Courtesy of Everett Collection
While the rerelease was expected to end on Wednesday, THR has learned that hundreds of movie theaters worldwide are continuing to run the film. Indeed, some cinemas have scheduled showtimes through Oct. 7.
As of Tuesday, The Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary stands as Fathom’s No. 3 highest-grossing 2026 title, ranking behind top earner The Amazing Digital Circus, along with the rerelease of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Over the weekend, The Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary outgrossed such fellow newcomers as Ethan Hawke’s The Weight and animated sequel Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, both of which played on more screens than the robots in disguise.
The Transformers property began its life with the Hasbro toy line that launched in 1984. It spawned an animated television series that began later in the year.
From director Nelson Shin, The Transformers: The Movie made the risky choice of killing off a number of popular characters — most notably Optimus Prime, who led the Autobots in their battle against the Decepticons. With a voice cast that included Orson Welles, Eric Idle, Judd Nelson, Leonard Nimoy and Robert Stack, in addition to Transformers mainstay Frank Welker as Megatron, the title grossed less than $6 million domestically for De Laurentiis Entertainment Group in the initial run but has amassed a cult following in the ensuing years.