Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Trailer: The Robots In Disguise Return

It's morphin' time once again, but not for the Power Rangers. No, but the upcoming live-action film "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" finally has its first trailer — and those things morph, you know?

In the sneak peek, we meet "In the Heights" star Anthony Ramos and "Judas and the Black Messiah" star Dominique Fishback as our human leads ... and yes, that's definitely the legendary Ron Pearlman voicing a new Transformer character named Optimus Primal. Right, not quite Optimus Prime, but close. This new film is set to adapt the "Transformers" spin-off series "Beast Wars" for the screen for the first time, which sounds about right for the seventh film in just about any franchise. At that point, reinventing the wheel is key — and it seems as though "Beast Wars" is their shot at doing so 15 years after the first "Transformers" film was released.

Believe it or not, this is the first entry in the main "Transformers" franchise that isn't directed by action pro Michael Bay (the spin-off "Bumblebee" was helmed by Travis Knight). Steven Caple Jr., the director of "Creed II," is the man in charge of this film, and I think it'll be interesting to see another director's take on the "Transformers" world. After all, it's become Bay's by default, but it definitely wasn't always his. The franchise has animated beginnings that stem all the way back to the late '80s, and those entries were based on children's toys to begin with.

According to Paramount+, this film is also just the first of a "planned" three-part series. A "CG animated Transformers theatrical film" is also arriving in 2024, directed by "Toy Story 4" head Josh Cooley from a script by "Ant-Man and the Wasp" scribes Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari. The studio claims that the prequel movie "takes place primarily on Cybertron and explores the origins of the war between the Autobots and Decepticons." Plus, there is a Nickelodeon animated series called "Transformers: EarthSpark" that is currently airing, so there is a ton of great material to sink your teeth into right now if you're a fan.

At this point, it's anyone's guess whether or not these entries — "Rise of the Beasts" in particular — will reignite the "Transformers" craze or firmly put it to bed after 15 years of films and TV projects. But if there's one thing we know about studios, it's that they love the adage "Try and try again."

"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" will arrive in theaters in the United States on June 9, 2023.