40 Years Later, 'Transformers' Has Nothing To Apologize For
40 years ago, late in the summer of 1986, Transformers: The Movie arrived and ruined everyone's childhoods. Or, at least that's what people like to say. Famously, or infamously, The Transformers: The Movie rebooted the popular TV cartoon franchise by killing of several beloved characters, most notably, everyone's favorite transforming semi-truck, Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen). Produced by toy company Hasbro, part of the idea behind killing off Optimus Prime (as well as a bunch of other heroic Autobots and villainous Decepticons) was to introduce kids to a whole bunch of new toys they would want to buy. The strategy did, and didn't work, and today, The Transformers: The Movie is remembered as a strange, risky flashpoint where a kids media brand risked destroying the thing that made their brand popular in the first place.
And so, as The Transformers: The Movie heads for a theatrical re-release this year, Hasbro is branding this comeback as an "apology tour," referencing the fact many of us elder millennials or gen-xers have claimed (repeatedly) to have been traumatized by the death of Optimus Prime so early in the film. The tongue-in-cheek marketing is clever, and certainly plays into one of the biggest talking points around the movie. Clearly, it's great to know that The Transformers: The Movie will be heading back into theaters in 2026. But does this movie really owe us an apology?
Yes, it's a popular to say that the death of Optimus Prime traumatized a generation fans, and yes, there's some truth to that. (I myself have certainly penned a brief essay or two on this very subject over the years.) But, at the same time, the ballsiness of killing Prime so early in the movie is, arguably, what makes the movie so watchable and cool. Unlike a lot of franchise movies (especially back then) The Transformers movie was letting you know that the stakes were real and some serious sh*t could go down.
In the 1980s and early 1990s kids were primed (pun intended!) to know that the elder, cool heroes in fantasy narratives could die. Obi-Wan and Yoda both died in Star Wars (1977) and Return of the Jedi (1983), respectively, while the beloved Spock died in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). The point is, killing off Optimus Prime in the first act of Transformers: The Movie was, narratively, very much in keeping with what kids might expect from fantasy narratives, and also, within the context of this movie, was symbolic and thematically correct insofar as the film was about a new generation. Although the cartoon series was set in contemporary 1980s Earth, Transformers: The Movie jumped ahead to the year 2005, which, at the time, was very much the future. So, once you take that fact as the context of the movie, Transformers: The Movie is more like The Force Awakens because it's literally about one generation stepping up, while another takes a back seat.
Does this mean that The Transformers: The Movie is secretly deep or a great piece of art? Maybe not. But its certainly a little more hardcore and interesting than one might guess based on the new marketing. The Transformers: The Movie dared to take a very hyperbolic kids' show and try to inject that story with some pathos. And on that final point, clearly, it was successful.
The Transformers: The Movie 2026 Theatrical Re-Release Dates
As of this writing, Hasbro has not confirmed exact dates for the re-release screenings of The Transformers: The Movie.
Here's the official statement from Hasbro: "Forty years later…it still hits like a truck. The loss of Optimus Prime remains one of the most talked-about moments in franchise history. Hasbro is leaning into that shared experience with a playful, year-long “1986 Apology Tour,” bringing fans together to grieve, heal, and reminisce together at special fan events and screenings all year long. More information to follow and tissues strongly encouraged."
So, hang tight for the screening dates before your transform and roll out.
Where to Stream Generation 1 Transformers and The Transformers: The Movie
The Transformers: The Movie (1986) is available to rent on YouTube, Apple TV, Prime Video and elsewhere. The classic series, which began in 1984, can be streamed on the Hasbro Pulse YouTube channel, as well as Tubi.