Peter Cullen’s Final Optimus Prime Performance Confirmed for New Transformers Short

The late Peter Cullen’s final vocal performance as Optimus Prime will be in a new animated short film, Optimus Prime: Awakening, that will be presented following select 40th anniversary screenings of The Transformers: The Movie.

Hasbro and Fathom Entertainment announced the short film Tuesday:

“Optimus Prime: Awakening is a fully realized, 12-minute animated short designed as a love letter to the Transformers community and the late Peter Cullen, the legendary talent and voice of Optimus Prime. Optimus Prime: Awakening builds on the acclaimed storytelling and visuals of The Transformers: The Movie (1986), giving audiences the rare opportunity to experience the iconic cultural moment from the franchise’s past while exploring its future on the big screen.”

Hasbro and Fathom said, “Peter’s performance [in Optimus Prime: Awakening] reveals a deeper vulnerability while retaining the unmistakable strength and authority that made his portrayal iconic.”

Check out the key art for Optimus Prime: Awakening below.

Frank Welker, who voices Optimus Prime’s archenemy Megatron in the film, praised his late co-star in a statement:

“Optimus Prime and Megatron were made for each other. After all, one needs the perfect hero against the epitome of evil to create great drama. Peter’s portrayal of Prime was born of his own personal beliefs; honesty, loyalty, and always insisting on doing the right thing. This made it easy to be friends. Returning as Megatron and Soundwave for one final story opposite Peter’s Optimus in Optimus Prime: Awakening was a real gift. I will miss my friend, but that voice and his heart and values will always be part of Optimus Prime.”

Peter Cullen died August 26 at the age of 85.

The Transformers: The Movie returns to theatres internationally in 4K from September 17–22, 2026. Fathom has just announced new screenings in France, Singapore, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Peru.

Fans can also now pre-order The Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary Limited-Edition steelbook, which will be available on November 17 in both 4K UHD and Blu-ray.