‘Transformers One’ Producers, Director Discuss the Franchise’s First Animated Feature in 40 Years During Backstage Annecy Interview
variety.comAnnecy Animation Festival, which was met with overwhelming support from the crowd. On night two of this year’s event, the studio returned with a WIP screening of its big 2024 offering, “Transformers One,” and reactions were equally enthusiastic.
Backstage before the show, Annecy’s artistic director, Marcel Jean, told Variety that he’s wanted “Transformers One” at the festival since seeing early footage from the film during a West Coast trip last fall. “In October of last year, I was in Los Angeles, and I had the opportunity to watch footage from the film,” he said. “It was, for me, a very high-level work.
I spoke with Josh Cooley, and I said to Ramsey Naito, ‘We need to have the whole film in Annecy, like what we did with ‘Mutant Mayhem’ last year.’ It was a huge success here in Annecy.
We have the best audience for that kind of production.” Jean, who joined the festival as artistic director 12 years ago, insisted that developing the studio relationship necessary to secure this kind of screening took time and effort but that the results have been well worth it. “It’s been a long-term process to convince the studio that Annecy is a place to be for them,” he explained. “Thanks to [Paramount and Nickelodeon Animation President] Ramsey Naito, we have a great relationship now with Paramount.
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