Transformers The Movie 40th Anniversary rerelease crosses $5 million globally

MUMBAI: The robots are back in disguise, but this time they have brought a box-office surprise with them. The Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary rerelease has crossed $5 million globally after returning to cinemas four decades after the original animated film debuted.

Released theatrically on September 17 as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations, the remastered 4K version opened at No. 7 on the domestic weekend box-office chart, earning $3.1 million from 1,454 locations across North America.

The rerelease was initially billed as a one-week theatrical event around Transformers Day, but its run has proved harder to roll back than expected. Hundreds of cinemas worldwide are continuing to screen the film, with some venues scheduling shows through October 7.

The anniversary release is a joint theatrical effort between Hasbro and Fathom Entertainment, with the campaign taking an unusually self-aware route. Hasbro dubbed its yearlong celebration “The Apology Tour”, a nod to one of the film’s most infamous moments — the death of Optimus Prime just 26 minutes into the 1986 movie.

The rerelease carries another emotional layer for long-time fans. Peter Cullen, the veteran voice of Optimus Prime, died last month aged 85. His final performance as the character appears in the 12-minute animated short Optimus Prime: Awakening, which is being shown exclusively in cinemas after the original film.

Shannah Miller, Vice President of Marketing at Fathom Entertainment, said the company had high expectations for the release but described the response as extraordinary, while pointing to the partnership with Hasbro and the anniversary campaign.

The Transformers: The Movie 40th Anniversary has also become Fathom’s No. 3 highest-grossing title of 2026 so far, behind The Amazing Digital Circus and the rerelease of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Its weekend performance put it ahead of fellow newcomers including Ethan Hawke’s The Weight and the animated sequel Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom, despite both films playing across more screens.

The franchise itself dates back to Hasbro’s Transformers toy line, launched in 1984, followed by the animated television series later that year. The 1986 feature was directed by Nelson Shin and took a dramatic gamble by killing off several popular characters, most notably Optimus Prime, the leader of the Autobots in their battle against the Decepticons.

Its voice cast included Orson Welles, Eric Idle, Judd Nelson, Leonard Nimoy and Robert Stack, alongside Transformers regular Frank Welker as Megatron.

The film originally earned less than $6 million domestically during its theatrical run for De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. Four decades later, however, the film’s cult following has turned its return to the big screen into a considerably bigger event.

With screenings now extending beyond the original one-week window, Optimus Prime and company are proving that some cinematic comebacks are built to last.