Transformers One is the latest instalment in the successful Transformers universe and while they were recently in Australia, I had a chance to speak with director Josh Cooley and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura about the project…
Matt: Lorenzo, there are so many stories which could be told in the Transformers universe so what was behind the decision to tell this one – particularly since it wouldn’t involve any human characters?
Lorenzo: That’s part of the reason. From about the second movie on, we began to discuss the story because it’s so biblical and relatable. We all have people who… maybe we’re not fighting to the death… but they fall out of our lives in different ways and forms. The pull of it was always there. We wanted the audience to have a new experience, and the timing felt right to approach this. It’s a powerful story and thankfully we have a very talented director to deliver it.
Matt: Josh, a lot of big names in the cast. How do you approach casting for an animated film? What are you looking for?
Josh: This is one of the fun and hard parts of an animated film. You want actors who can bring the characters to life but, for me personally, I almost don’t want to know who the actor is when I’m first listening to the voice. I want audiences to buy into Orion Pax or D-16 and that’s who I want them to connect with. At the same time, you want the actor to bring a piece of themselves so it’s actually a really difficult thing to find. I’m still blown away by the calibre of the cast but also their acting.
Lorenzo: I think the other part that’s really interesting is that you don’t realise how much the visual part of what that actor’s face looks like plays into how you think about that voice. As soon as you take away the face, the voice is very different. That was surprising each time we were debating this. Some actor’s voices translate but with others, it doesn’t feel right without their face.
Matt: He’s an Aussie so I have to ask about Chris Hemsworth. Given he has such a deep, recognisable voice which we know so well from the Thor franchise. What was it about him that you particularly wanted for the role?
Josh: The thing for me that totally worked is that he has such weight to his voice. I could believe that he would eventually become Optimus Prime and the voice of Peter Cullen as a character. The other thing is that Chris has a great charm to his voice. We wanted to do Orion Pax different from Optimus Prime in that he’s not all-knowing and he’s a bit younger with more swagger. He’s not as refined. Chris loved playing that and really brought it to the role.
Matt: Lorenzo, you’re a producer who’s been in the business for a couple of decades now. There’s so much competition from streaming platforms these days. When you have a big theatrical release like Transformers One, is there anything different in the studio’s approach in trying to get people off the couch and into cinemas to enjoy it?
Lorenzo: Every story now goes through a greater scrutiny about is this “theatre worthy” in a way but it’s been a little destructive that people think that way because you don’t know if something is theatre-worthy until you put it in a theatre. The biggest thing is that we’re competing for people’s attention against video games, the internet, and all the different kinds of distractions. That’s put an additional burden on what you select and why you select.
I’d like to think the quality of the movie can make it cinematic and theatre-worthy. I advocate with studios not to make a decision right away about certain kinds of projects. A Transformers movie is different because it’s theatrical by definition given its scale… it’s an event experience. A lot of other movies don’t have that quality.
Matt: Josh, we as the audience are there to enjoy the movie and we have little-to-comprehension of the hundreds of people craftsmen working behind the scenes to bring the movie to life. With Transformers One, what was the biggest challenge in realising your vision?
Josh: Every day, I have to answer a trillion questions. If you think about it, everything in the movie is fake… it doesn’t exist. If we were shooting this interview, we’ve got us as people and what we’re wearing – we’ve got things for free as a live action film. In animation, you have to build all of it – from the colour of the sky down to what the colours on their skin look like up close. There’s a million questions a day but at the same time, that’s the fun of the job. Working with the cast and the crew and the amazing artists at Industrial Light & Magic here in Sydney. I’ve been to Sydney five times in the past 2 years to spend time with the team and record Chris Hemsworth. It’s a great job.
Matt: What’s the plan for the franchise going forward?
Lorenzo: We have some story ideas if we’re successful with this movie. We’ve just begun the process. Josh and I are in sync and at least for myself, it’s brought out the best part of my creativity working with Josh. It’s really exciting to contemplate another movie. These two characters have a lot more to go. I’ll say that.