Hasbro's Hubris: The Story of the Failed The Transformers: The Movie (1986)

The Transformers: The Movie is a 1986 animated film based on the Transformers television series. It was released in North America on August 8, 1986 and arrived with a thud, sinking quickly at the box office. Hasbro's exclusively toy-focused agenda demanded a product refresh, to be contrived by the on-screen extermination of starring characters, at the protest of some creators of the film and TV series. The slaughter of characters, especially Optimus Prime, inadvertently upset the young audience. But a funny thing happened on the way to 2021.