If it feels like every couple of years there’s a new “Transformers” movie, you wouldn’t be wrong.
Beginning with 2007’s “Transformers,” seven live-action movies have been released. The first five were directed by Michael Bay, who remained a producer on the two most recent films.
The first five films take place in present day, while the sixth film “Bumblebee” (the only film without “Transformers” in its title) is set in 1987. The upcoming film “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” is set in the ’90s, so it’s a sequel AND a prequel.
Confused? Don’t be. We break down how to watch the live-action Transformers movies in order.
How to watch the Transformers movies in release order
Here are the Transformers films in release order:
- “Transformers” (2007)
- “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009)
- “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011)
- “Transformers: Age of Extinction” (2014)
- “Transformers: The Last Knight” (2017)
- “Bumblebee” (2018)
- “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” (2023)
The first three films starred Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox, and are loosely considered a trilogy. The fourth and fifth films starred Mark Wahlberg and can be paired. “Bumblebee” introduced the franchise’s first female lead, Hailee Steinfeld. “Rise of the Beasts” — which opens exclusively in theaters on June 9 — stars Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback. All of the films feature legendary voice actor Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime.
The Transformers lore can be a bit confusing and none of the storylines tie heavily into each other, so watching them in order isn’t too critical.
How to watch the Transformers films in chronological order
Here are the Transformers films in chronological order:
- “Bumblebee” (2018)
- “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” (2023)
- “Transformers” (2007)
- “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009)
- “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011)
- “Transformers: Age of Extinction” (2014)
- “Transformers: The Last Knight” (2017)
As previously mentioned, “Bumblebee” is set in the late ’80s. Our heroic yellow robot is sent to scout out a planet for the Autobots, who are losing the war to the Decepticons on Cybertron. He is the first of this group of Autobots to land on Earth.
There’s a subplot in “The Last Knight” that introduces the Knights of Iacon, a group of Transformers around the age of King Arthur, but the less we talk about them (and the film) the better. There’s an even older set of Transformers — the prehistoric Dinobots — that are introduced in “Age of Extinction,” but they don’t talk and have much of a backstory.
What’s this about an animated film?
Before the live-action films, there was the animated 1986 “Transformers: The Movie,” which was released in theaters. It featured voice acting legends Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime and Frank Welker as Megatron, Soundwave and a slew of other Decepticons.
It was also Orson Welles’ final film. The “Citizen Kane” actor/director voiced Unicron.
In the years since, the film has been released on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray. It’s considered a cult classic and a must-watch for any Transformers fan, but is not in the chronology of the live-action films.
Where are the Transformers movies streaming?
“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” will be released only in theaters on June 9, 2023. Eventually, it’ll make it’s way to Paramount+.
“Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” and “Bumblebee” are all currently streaming on Paramount+.
“Transformers” is available on Hulu with a premium subscription, while “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” is available through various Video on Demand (VOD) services, including Prime Video and YouTube.
Finally, “Transformers: The Last Knight” is also available on Hulu with a premium subscription and various VOD services.