This article appears in the new issue ofDEN OF GEEK magazine.
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Transformers Onesheds light on the earliest era of Cybertronian history fans have seen yet.
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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
DEN OF GEEK: You have a lot of experience working within long-running franchises with huge fanbases.
What is it about properties like Marvel and Transformers that make them enduring?
And theres allegory and hidden messaging in there, too.
Its baked into the story.
Your choices have consequences.
And I think theres a nobility to Optimus Prime that kids look up to.
Audiences and critics often dismiss kids movies as somehow unimportant or unworthy of prestige.
How do you value family entertainment when compared with the more serious films that dominate awards shows?
Family films are essential.
People think more serious movies are more important.
But you’re free to be fun and entertaining and still be sincere.
Look atToy Story,Shrek, and nowTransformers Onethere are life lessons for all ages in animated films.
What life lessons are we going to find inTransformers One?
And what drew you to the project?
This being an origin story is what appealed to me.
It isnt a remake; its not a reimagining.
It shows the early years of these characters, whom we only knew later in their lives.
This film delves into friendships and relationships you have with people when youre vulnerable and afraid.
We make mistakes, and we learn from them.
But ultimately, we are defined by the decisions that we make.
Hes exposed to things that make him question everything he believes in.
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Was it liberating to truly let the work stand on its own?
In a sense, you have to do more work with your performance.
I loved the creative adventure that it provided.
And I loved having a second, third, fourth, fifth take as well.
On film sets, you get to do reshoots occasionally.
But with this movie, we got to do the entire film a few times.
It was really fulfilling and collaborative.
What can longtime fans expect fromTransformers One?
As Im sure youre aware, these characters mean a lot to fans.
I feel a huge sense of gratitude to the fans for this opportunity.
Im deeply aware of the passion for this character and this world.
It was as nerve-racking as it was exciting.
I came at this project as a fan.
What excited me was that these are sides of these characters weve never seen before.
And weve never seen Cybertron like this before.
Its a hugely entertaining movie, but there is a darkness to it as well.
Transformers One is released in theaters on Sept. 20.
