OK so if you've been following along you know I've been ALL over the Transformers: The Movie 4K rerelease story. I wrote about it when Fathom Entertainment first announced it last week and now there's a brand-new trailer for it and yeah I'm gonna talk about it again because this is the stuff I care about, sue me.

The new trailer dropped yesterday and it's... kind of emotional? Like seeing that 1986 animation cleaned up in 4K with a proper trailer cut for a 2026 audience is a weird and beautiful thing. The colors pop. The lines are crisp. Optimus Prime has never looked this good and I will not be taking questions.

In case you missed my earlier piece (rude), here's the deal. The 4K restoration of Transformers: The Movie is hitting theaters September 17 through 21. Fathom Entertainment is handling the rerelease. Tickets are expected to go on sale soon, though no exact date yet. I'm refreshing like a maniac.

I know some people are gonna roll their eyes. "It's a toy commercial from 1986, Jess." First of all, how dare you. Second of all, this movie has Orson Welles in his final film role. It has a soundtrack that goes impossibly hard. "The Touch" by Stan Bush is in this movie. You know the one. The one that plays when Optimus rolls into Autobot City and just starts wrecking Decepticons. That scene alone is worth the price of admission.

I've been very vocal about how physical media and theatrical rereleases matter, and I'll keep saying it. There's something special about watching a movie like this in a packed theater with people who get it. My grandma Elizabeth used to tell me about seeing movies during their original runs and how the communal energy was irreplaceable. She was right then and she's right now. Technology can stream a 4K file to your phone but it can't recreate the feeling of sitting in a dark room with strangers all losing it when Hot Rod opens the Matrix.

Side note, Dante walked by my desk while I had the trailer playing and even he stopped. He's usually too busy writing 4,000-word essays about Czech New Wave cinema to care about animated robots, but even he was like "that looks incredible." So there's your endorsement from the serious film guy.

The trailer does a good job of not giving away the big moments if you somehow haven't seen it. And if you haven't seen it, I'm not going to spoil it here, but... bring tissues. That's all I'll say. Bring tissues.

September 17 through 21. Mark it. This is the kind of theatrical experience that reminds you why movie theaters exist in the first place. And if you skip it to watch it on your phone later, we can't be friends.

I'll update as soon as ticket sales go live. You already know I will.