Autobots, roll out. Forty years after The Transformers: The Movie brought the battle for Cybertron to the big screen, the animated classic is heading back to theaters for a new generation of fans.

The Transformers 40th Anniversary celebration brings the 1986 film back to theaters beginning September 17, 2026, presented in a newly restored 4K format. But this is more than a trip back to Cybertron. Fans who stick around after the movie will also get something completely new: an original animated Optimus Prime story created for the anniversary event.

The Transformers: The Movie Returns to Theaters for Its 40th Anniversary

Released in 1986, The Transformers: The Movie took the original animated series and made everything bigger. The Autobots and Decepticons were suddenly fighting a battle with permanent consequences, while the planet-devouring Unicron threatened Cybertron itself.

And then there was that moment.

The battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron became one of the defining scenes in Transformers history, while characters including Hot Rod, Galvatron and Unicron helped push the franchise into a new era.

The film also assembled a memorable voice cast. Peter Cullen and Frank Welker returned as Optimus Prime and Megatron, alongside Orson Welles as Unicron, Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron, Judd Nelson as Hot Rod, and Robert Stack as Ultra Magnus.

Now, the Transformers 40th Anniversary theatrical event gives longtime fans the chance to experience those moments on the big screen again, this time in 4K. Fathom Entertainment currently lists screenings from September 17 through September 22, with premium 4DX presentations available in select markets.

A New Optimus Prime Story Awaits After the Credits

There is another big reason to stay in your seat.

The anniversary screenings include Optimus Prime: Awakening, an all-new 12-minute CG-animated short created as part of the celebration. The story builds on the world and visuals of the original 1986 film while giving audiences a new chapter featuring Optimus Prime, Megatron and Soundwave.

Most importantly, the short features Peter Cullen’s final original voice performance as Optimus Prime. Cullen helped define the character for more than four decades, making his unmistakable voice an essential part of Optimus Prime for generations of Transformers fans.

Frank Welker also returns to voice Megatron and Soundwave, bringing two of the franchise’s most legendary performers together for one final Transformers story.

That makes the Transformers 40th Anniversary more than a theatrical re-release. It is a chance to revisit a defining piece of Transformers history while experiencing something new alongside it.

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