{"rewrite":{"id":"r_50d294e8c0664cbe5765dd77","clusterId":"c_5656a4acb47542f944baa3db","slug":"optimus-prime-awakening-short-reveals-cast-staff-new-screening-regions","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Optimus Prime: Awakening Short Reveals Cast, Staff, New Screening Regions","summary":"Fathom Entertainment and Hasbro revealed the cast, staff, and additional screening regions for the 12-minute Optimus Prime: Awakening animated short, which plays with select anniversary screenings of the 4K re-release of The Transformers: The Movie. Peter Cullen stars as Optimus Prime in his final performance, days after his death on August 26. Frank Welker voices Megatron and Soundwave. Josh Wassung directs from a script by Ryan Parrott, with music by Bobby Krlic and animation by The Third Floor. The short opens September 17 in ten new regions.","whyItMatters":"The short carries Peter Cullen's final performance as Optimus Prime, announced days after his death, which gives the 4K re-release of The Transformers: The Movie a memorial dimension.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eThe 4K re-release of The Transformers: The Movie carries a never-before-seen cinematic chapter that screens after the credits, and the 12-minute Optimus Prime: Awakening plays with select anniversary screenings. The short follows the Autobots under Optimus Prime as Unicron, voiced by Orson Welles, heads for Cybertron to devour the Transformers homeworld, with the Autobot Matrix of Leadership as the only hope.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSome U.S. theaters will offer collectible popcorn buckets and drinkware. Fathom and Hasbro previously re-released the film in U.S. theaters in September 2021 for the 35th anniversary, and Shout! Factory put out a 35th anniversary steelbook with a new 4K transfer of the original 35mm film. Cullen died August 26 at his home in Los Angeles at 85.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrance\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSingapore\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChile\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eColombia\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCosta Rica\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEl Salvador\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGuatemala\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHonduras\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePanama\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeru\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e","blueskyPost":"Peter Cullen's final performance as Optimus Prime arrives in the 12-minute short Optimus Prime: Awakening, which plays with select anniversary screenings of the 4K re-release of The Transformers: The Movie. It opens September 17 in ten new regions. Cullen died August 26 at 85.","twitterPost":"Peter Cullen's final performance as Optimus Prime is in the 12-minute short Optimus Prime: Awakening, playing with select anniversary screenings of the 4K re-release of The Transformers: The Movie. Opens September 17 in ten new regions. Cullen died August 26 at 85.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Fathom Entertainment and Hasbro revealed the cast, staff, and new screening regions for the 12-minute Optimus Prime: Awakening short, which plays with select anniversary screenings of the 4K re-release of The Transformers: The Movie. Peter Cullen stars as Optimus Prime in his final performance, days after his death on August 26. The short opens September 17 in ten new regions.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Anime News Network\",\"url\":\"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-09-01/optimus-prime-awakening-animated-short-announces-cast-staff-more-screening-regions/.241202\",\"title\":\"Optimus Prime: Awakening Animated Short Announces Cast, Staff, More Screening Regions\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4543,"outputTokens":3784,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1788305996,"createdAt":"2026-09-01T23:30:14.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-09-01T23:32:26.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-01T23:32:26.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_5656a4acb47542f944baa3db","canonicalTitle":"News\n'Optimus Prime: Awakening' Animated Short Announces Cast, Staff, More Screening Regions","representativeArticleId":"a_d351089217df7677c3081f0c","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Optimus Prime: Awakening\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[\"Peter Cullen\"],\"type\":\"announcement\",\"domain\":\"anime\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-09-01T19:15:14.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-09-01T19:15:14.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-01T23:32:24.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Anime News Network","url":"https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-09-01/optimus-prime-awakening-animated-short-announces-cast-staff-more-screening-regions/.241202","title":"News\n'Optimus Prime: Awakening' Animated Short Announces Cast, Staff, More Screening Regions"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Optimus Prime: Awakening"],"studios":[],"people":["Peter Cullen"],"type":"announcement","domain":"anime","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}