The Voice of Optimus Prime in the Transformer Movie is...

[Captain Trips]

Peter Cullen. It's official.

http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=23937

ComicCon News!! TRANSFORMERS Announcement! The Voice Of Optimus Prime Is...
Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
... Peter Cullen.
Yep. You can all relax. Paramount made it official a few moments ago during their presentation panel, and by all accounts, there was much rejoicing.

[Gaz]

Thank Vector Sigma!:D
(Is Welker playing SOMEONE? I'm not bothered if he plays Megatron or anything, but he's Frank Welker, he should be in this movie.)

[Legato]

My faith in the movie being good is currently rising in great heights now. This is excellent news!

[EZMOHR]

I'm glad to hear that news.

[DDM]

Now, all we need is Frank Welker to voice Megatron, Soundwave, & countless other Transformers he voiced in the television series.

[Athena Bast]

I don't care how bad the movie is they got Optimus. Not somebody trying to be Optimus. They got Prime.

[Steve Brady]

Now, all we need is Frank Welker to voice Megatron, Soundwave, & countless other Transformers he voiced in the television series.

That'd be nice. But Cullen is key.

[RandomNinja]

I never watched Transformers as a kid (I was part of the BTAS and Gargoyles generation), so I mainly know Peter Cullen as the voiceovers on all those cool Toonami promos.

Still, I think he's got an awesome Keith Daivd-esque voice.

[the film freak]

Neat. I'd be open minded to someone else taking over but it's cool they gave him the job.

Who's going to play Jazz and Starscream?

[LordEd1976]

(ala Hot Rod from Transformers the movie, 1986)


.........Optimus




:)

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Smart move. Very smart move.

Wonder if they'll get Leonard Nimoy to do Megatron...

He only did Galvatron, yes, but he's a recognizable name the studio can send out to do the talk show circuit to chat up the film.

[Sanagi]

Desire to see movie: Rising.

[the film freak]

Smart move. Very smart move.

Wonder if they'll get Leonard Nimoy to do Megatron...

He only did Galvatron, yes, but he's a recognizable name the studio can send out to do the talk show circuit to chat up the film.

I'm sure they'll have the human actors do that. Or the Bumblebee puppet...

I wouldn't mind hearing Nimoy do Megatron even if he was kind of phoning it in the Transformers movie.

[cactusmaac]

I will be buying three tickets.

[SAMAS]

I don't care how bad the movie is they got Optimus. Not somebody trying to be Optimus. They got Prime.

Well, I think Gary Chaulk has earned his stripes, too.

But yes, I would say that Cullen is the *ahem* prime Prime. :o

[Sean Walsh]

That'd be nice. But Cullen is key.

But now that they *have* Cullen, they need Welker to complete the duo.

I know that sounds kinda defeatist (like "I'll be upset now if they don't get both! Waa!") but there it is.

Still, they got Cullen. Awesome. :)

[Lord of Denial]

If at anytime during the movie Prime's chest opens and the Matrix floats into his hands and Cullen says " Now Light Our Darkest Hour" and The Touch plays I will totally FREAK out!

Not holding my breath however!

[lonewolf23k]

Well, I think Gary Chaulk has earned his stripes, too.

But yes, I would say that Cullen is the *ahem* prime Prime. :o

Gary Chaulk is to Optimus Prime what Pierce Brosnan is to James Bond; Not quite the original article, but nearly as good an imitation.

[Athena Bast]

Well, I think Gary Chaulk has earned his stripes, too.

But yes, I would say that Cullen is the *ahem* prime Prime. :o

He's the new Optimus right?

Oh yeah he's cool too.

Optimus Prime is like James Bond. Well, John Wayne and James Bond.

[stevelabny]

I dunno.

I think having the old Optimus Prime voice would make it even more noticeable when the other voices are all different.

To me, this had to be an all or nothing type thing. Either bring in the whole voice cast... or don't bring in any.

[Gaz]

I dunno.

I think having the old Optimus Prime voice would make it even more noticeable when the other voices are all different.

To me, this had to be an all or nothing type thing. Either bring in the whole voice cast... or don't bring in any.
Um, a good portion of them are dead...:(

[LordEd1976]

Um, a good portion of them are dead...:(

Actually, there many of them who are still alive. Out of the 80s cast the following people are dead;

Chris Latta (Starscream, Sparkplug, Wheeljack, Defensor)
Scatman Crothers (Jazz)
Lionel Stander (Kup-movie version)
Orson Welles (Unicron-movie version)
Ed Gilbert (Blitzwing)
Roger C Carmel (Cyclonus, Bruticus, Motormaster, Unicron-tv version, Quintesson voice)
I also think the voice of Carly (Spike's wife) is dead.

Other than those I just listed you still have Corey Burton, Micheal Bell, Neil Ross, Frank Welker, Dan Gilvezan, and Jack Angel. And those are just the guys I can name off the top of my head.

The point is, there are still enough voice actors left from the original cartoon that you could track them down and have them do voices for the new movie.

[spoon_jenkins]

Robert Stack, who played Ultra Magnus in the movie, is also deceased.

[LordEd1976]

Robert Stack, who played Ultra Magnus in the movie, is also deceased.

I KNEW I forgot someone. I guess since Airplane and TF: the Movie are both movies that I watch constantly I tend to forget that poor Robert Stack is no longer with us.

Sorry Robert.

[StoneGold]

Actually, there many of them who are still alive. Out of the 80s cast the following people are dead;

Chris Latta (Starscream, Sparkplug, Wheeljack, Defensor)
Scatman Crothers (Jazz)

The only two beyond Welker that really matter.


OK, maybe Casey Kasem. Seriously though, the only three voices that really, really mattered were Cullen, Welker and Latta. Latta is dead, Welker will probably be in the movie just because he's in almost every movie, even if uncredited, doing vocalizations, and Cullen is The Man.

[Michael P]

Well, that's just Prime.

[SAMAS]

*Hits you over the head with a squeeky mallet*

If an Ultra Magnus is needed, I would nominate Prime #2: Gary Chaulk.

[StoneGold]

*Hits you over the head with a squeeky mallet*

If an Ultra Magnus is needed, I would nominate Prime #2: Gary Chaulk.
Honestly, Ultra Magnus only confuses the issue. Here's Optimus Prime! Here's the guy who looks exactly like him!

[Gaz]

Honestly, Ultra Magnus only confuses the issue. Here's Optimus Prime! Here's the guy who looks exactly like him!
Only if you go strictly by toys, which the TV show/movie/comic didn't. (That actually helped, as you didn't need to wonder where the trailer went, too.)

Go with the deluxe Magnus, and he's just a guy that happens to also turn into a semi.

[StoneGold]

Only if you go strictly by toys, which the TV show/movie/comic didn't. (That actually helped, as you didn't need to wonder where the trailer went, too.)

Go with the deluxe Magnus, and he's just a guy that happens to also turn into a semi.
I'm just talking about the multiple semis, not whether they were repaints of the same toy. They look too much the same, have too similiar names, and you really don't need Ultra Magnus at all. You want to talk about clutter characters?


Although the way the movies are working, Ultra Magnus'll probably end up being an Xbox or something.

[Gaz]

I'm just talking about the multiple semis, not whether they were repaints of the same toy. They look too much the same, have too similiar names, and you really don't need Ultra Magnus at all. You want to talk about clutter characters?


Although the way the movies are working, Ultra Magnus'll probably end up being an Xbox or something.
Technically, Magnus was a car carrier, open trailer.

But there's another point, no reason he would have to be a truck, he could be a Hummer, or a bus, or an oilrig...

[StoneGold]

Technically, Magnus was a car carrier, open trailer.

But there's another point, no reason he would have to be a truck, he could be a Hummer, or a bus, or an oilrig...
Except that it breaks away from naming conventions. Or rather, it is one of the few names besides Optimus Prime that breaks away from naming conventions. I'd rather have just Prime be the guy with the wacky overdone name, and have everyone else be the guys with descriptive terms as names.