Despite earning praise from both critics and audiences, it appears Transformers One won’t be getting a sequel. Paramount has reportedly decided not to move forward with the planned trilogy, as the studio continues to struggle with revitalizing a franchise that once dominated the global box office.
The news was delivered by director Josh Cooley, who had an 8 PM special panel at Bot Con '25 in Wayne, Indiana, earlier today.
Released in 2024, the animated sci-fi film featured a star-studded voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth as Orion Pax/Optimus Prime, Brian Tyree Henry as D-16/Megatron, Keegan-Michael Key as B-127, Scarlett Johansson as Elita-1, Steve Buscemi as Starscream, Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion, and Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime.
Although the film was well received, earning an 83% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an average rating of 7.3/10, it failed to deliver financially, pulling in just $129.4 million worldwide against a production budget of approximately $75 million.
The disappointing box office return prompted Hasbro to announce it would no longer co-finance films based on its brands.
Paramount will go back to the drawing board to plan out how to re-launch the Transformers film series, which has been trending downward (financially) since the first four live-action films under director Michael Bay were released between 2007-2014.
Ever since 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight, box office returns for the IP have steadily decreased, culminating in a franchise low with Transformers One.
Before its release, Transformers One had been envisioned as the launchpad for a new trilogy, with storylines and character arcs already outlined for two additional films. However, the franchise’s future now remains uncertain as the studio reassesses its approach to the once-blockbuster property.
Transformers One tells the origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, back when they were just Orion Pax and D-16, two miners on Cybertron without the ability to transform.
Alongside Elita-1 and B-127 (later known as Bumblebee), they uncover a shocking secret: their leader, Sentinel Prime, stole the Matrix of Leadership and removed the transformation cogs from their people to control and enslave them.
As the group fights to expose the truth and spark a rebellion, Orion is chosen by the Matrix and becomes Optimus Prime. But D-16, driven by anger and a thirst for revenge, takes a darker path. His growing hatred turns him into Megatron, setting the foundation for the legendary war between Autobots and Decepticons.