Transformers One, the animated prequel released in 2024, is now available to stream on Netflix and Paramount+. The film arrives on the platform after a theatrical run that fell well short of expectations, even though critics and audiences responded strongly to it.
Set three billion years before Michael Bay's live-action Transformers movies, the film explores the origins of several iconic characters on the planet Cybertron, where inhabitants are divided into classes based on whether or not they can transform. The story follows a young Orion Pax (Chris Hemsworth) and his best friend D-16 (Brian Tyree Henry) as they break from the system and go on the run. Their journey leads the two friends toward sharply diverging views about the future of their people, laying the groundwork for the rivalry between Optimus Prime and Megatron.
Directed by Josh Cooley and written by Andrew Barrer, Steve Desmond and Gabriel Ferrari, the film runs 104 minutes. Its voice cast includes Scarlett Johansson as Elita-1, Keegan-Michael Key as B-127, Steve Buscemi as Starscream, Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion and Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime. Reviewers gave the movie an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences rated it 97%.
Those numbers did not translate into ticket sales. Against an estimated budget of between $75 million and $147 million, Transformers One grossed only $129 million over its entire theatrical run. That makes it the second-lowest-grossing entry in the franchise, ahead of only the 1986 animated film Transformers: The Movie. At their peak, Transformers films have earned more than $1 billion worldwide, and even weaker installments have topped $400 million.
Observers have pointed to the film's marketing as one factor in its underperformance. Trailers emphasized the comedic elements in an effort to appeal to younger viewers and families, according to the original report, which meant some of the movie's darker themes went unseen before release. The prequel also faced competition from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which took the top spot at the box office during Transformers One's opening weekend. Since then, some franchise fans have argued that the film was unfairly overlooked, particularly by viewers who dismiss animation.
The movie was originally conceived as the opening chapter of a trilogy that would follow Orion Pax and D-16 on their path to becoming Optimus Prime and Megatron. As of 2026, no sequel is in development, since further installments depended on the first film's box office performance. The story did continue in an animated web series, Transformers One: New Adventures. Meanwhile, the franchise is shifting back toward live-action: Michael Bay is reportedly in talks to return for a sequel to Transformers: The Last Knight that would largely disregard 2023's Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and Ángel Manuel Soto and Josh Cooley are reportedly in discussions for an original live-action film rather than a Transformers One follow-up. A planned crossover between Transformers and G.I. Joe is no longer moving forward.
Sources: Comic Book Resources.