Transformers One wasn’t even on my radar before this morning. I’ve seen a few of the Michael Bay films but the Transformers craze mostly passed me by as a child. Even when Overwatch 2 had its collaboration with the series I was unmoved despite over a thousand hours in that game. But Paramount has found a way to target me, specifically, as it rolls out its new animated origin story in theaters by crossing over with another big franchise film it has coming out this year: Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
On September 20, the film’s opening day, the first 300 ticket holders at participating theaters will get an exclusive, apparently secret print from Sonic the Hedgehog 3 featuring Keanu Reeves’ Shadow the Hedgehog. I have no particular interest in the plight of Optimus Prime and Megatron. I don’t know why those giant robots in disguise are fighting and am not terribly interested in finding out, unless I hear they’re going to kiss at some point in the film’s runtime. But what I do care about is a tragic, angsty, black-and-red hedgehog ready to destroy the world as revenge for the loss of his best friend. Sure, this print could be super lame, and it might even just be a printed screenshot from the trailer Paramount released earlier this month. But what if it’s actually sick art that will become a collector’s item that I want on my wall? I would be foolish to deny myself such an opportunity. The robot movie is apparently pretty alright, according to the reviews, so it will probably be a decent time at the theater. Plus, I don’t even have to go see Transformers One. I just gotta buy a ticket and show up.
If you’re similarly Shadow-pilled and want to get whatever this print is, there’s a page on the Transformers movie website that lays out which theaters are participating. 300 tickets sounds like a lot of people, but you still might want to go to one of the earlier showings just to be safe.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is coming to theaters on December 20, and there’s a lot to unpack in the first trailer. Naturally, fans have been picking it apart and theory crafting already.
Update 9/17/2024 4:35 p.m. ET: Paramount has posted an update on the promotion, confirming that these posters will be signed by Reeves himself. Unrelated: I bought a ticket to Transfomers One.
Update 9/18/2024 9:15 a.m. ET: Images of the print Reeves is signing have been posted online and they show Shadow being a cool guy sliding on a motorcycle. Friends, I gasped when I saw it. A fan pointed out the art may be a reference to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, in which the titular hero uses his metal claws to brake the same way Shadow is shown using his hand in the poster.