Scarlett Johansson Says 'Transformers One' “Looks So Cool!" (2024)

The last time an animated Transformers movie made it to the big screen, audiences everywhere experienced a story that wasn't afraid to get deeper and more emotional than anyone could've asked for a feature-length take on a Saturday morning cartoon made to sell toys. It's been nearly 40 years since The Transformers: The Movie released and only now is there movement on yet another animated film. Transformers One will tell the origin story of the relationship between young Optimus Prime and Megatron on their home world of Cybertron, exploring how they ultimately fell apart on different sides of a conflict. Such a story needs serious depth and heart to pull off and according to Scarlett Johansson, it definitely delivers.

Johansson, who plays Elita in Transformers One, sat down with Collider's Steve Weintraub during a press junket for Asteroid City where she discussed her reaction to the film. Although she couldn't give much information on her role within this first chapter of the Transformers story, she had plenty of praise for writer-director Josh Cooley for bringing it all together with the gravitas it deserves. She's also the latest member of the film's team to be in awe of the animation work done by Industrial Light and Magic to make the film something wholly unique. She said:

"Yes, I’m playing Elita. I’m working with Josh Cooley, who is an incredible writer-director who I adore and have worked creatively with in another capacity. The film doesn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen before, it looks so cool! The texture of it is so awesome. And because Josh wrote it, it just feels very… I don’t know, it’s got a very dramatic feeling about it. It’s funny, but it’s got so much heart to it like all of his stuff does. I think it’s a different way of approaching this IP. I think it stands on its own, it’s pretty exciting."

RELATED: 'Asteroid City' Pop-Up Opening at Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan For Next Two Weeks [Exclusive]

Jason Schwartzman Opens Up About The Spot's Role in Beyond the Spider-Verse

Transformers One will be the first part of what could be a "natural trilogy" and, if Johansson's comments and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura's hype are anything to go by, it's a project to keep an eye on as it nears its new September 13, 2024, release date. Adding to the excitement is that Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry are slated to play the younger Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively in a loaded cast that also includesKeegan Michael-Key, Jon Hamm, and Laurence Fishburne.

2024 is shaping up to be a strong year for animation between Transformers One and the much-anticipated Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse which will conclude a starry trilogy of its own. Jason Schwartzman, who plays the multiverse-threatening villain The Spot in the film and the recent Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, was also in attendance with Johansson and Weintraub to talk about where he's heading in the finale. He wasn't quite as open as Johansson when talking about the film, however. "Yeah, there’s not much I really can say, but I’m just excited about it, and it was a great experience, I loved working with them. And we started doing that before this movie!"

His reluctance to open up earned some teasing from Johansson, but Schwartzman was able to promise three things for The Spot in Beyond the Spider-Verse: "bigger, badder, holier." That doesn't mean plot holes either. The Spot starts off Across the Spider-Verseas a relatively weak threat for Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), growing exponentially in power as he comes to grips with his ability to utilize interdimensional portals. Schwartzman is excited to see how his villain continues to evolve in the third film, especially since he already ended Across the Spider-Verseas quite the formidable foe for the Spider Society. "You know what? The truth is this, it’s really fun because, as you know, it’s a part one and two, and so it’s a really cool, rare opportunity to get to tell one big story and have the time to go into all these things and let these characters really develop," he said. "I can’t wait for it, I’m so excited."

Both Transformers One and Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse are still over a year out. Until then, you can see Johansson and Schwartzman together in Wes Anderson's Asteroid City in theaters starting on June 23.