If you caught the 40th-anniversary screenings of The Transformers: The Movie in theaters from September 17 to 21, you would have watched a 12-minute animated special, Optimus Prime: Awakening, created as part of The Apology Tour campaign.
This special was a secret bonus. Only after Peter Cullen’s death was announced did Hasbro formally reveal the short’s title, release the first promotional clips, and disclose that it featured Peter Cullen’s final voice performance alongside Frank Welker. Many influencers and Transformers toy reviewers picked it up and helped propagate the “last performance” narrative.
I refused. The man’s achievements can be celebrated, but framing it as Cullen’s final performance—though true, and precisely what Hasbro has done—is an obvious move to boost visibility and possibly ticket sales, and it feels like the wrong thing to do. Unfortunately, many influencers and Transformers toy reviewers also took advantage of this, reposting the clips and framing them as Hasbro did.
Anyhoo, I did not watch the movie in theaters in 2026, nor did I in 1986—it had limited global distribution—but for those who did and became fans of the 12-minute special, here’s the first toy to emerge from the short: Transformers Studio Series Optimus Prime: Awakening Deluxe Class Bumblebee.
And yes. It has red eyes because this is an Evil Bumblebee. But I shan’t spoil it for you because you will get to see the special if you buy The Transformers: The Movie – 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook [4K UHD], which includes it as a bonus feature.
Anyhoo, standing 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) tall, the red-eyed Bee converts between robot and car modes in 24 steps and comes with a fusion cannon accessory inspired by the animated short film, which he can wield like dear old Megatron. It can also be attached—or stored, as it is often referred to in the Transformers toy world—in vehicle mode.
The Transformers Studio Series Optimus Prime: Awakening Deluxe Class Bumblebee is set to ship around November 1, 2027, for US$29.99. You can secure a copy by pre-ordering it from HasbroPulse.com as we speak.
If you are also interested in The Transformers: The Movie – 40th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook [4K UHD], you may pre-order it on Amazon for US$39.96.
Note: Usually, the Amazon link would be an affiliate link, but I decided I should not be profiting from this even though this article is remotely related to the great voice actor’s passing.
Images: Hasbro.