Optimus Prime Thanks Fans

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Peter Cullen reprises his role as Optimus Prime in the upcoming live action Transformers movie and thanks the fans for getting the part.

In Transformers early stages it was rumored that George Clooney would voice Optimus Prime, but thanks to fan outcry Peter Cullen got the role.

"The fan base on the Internet helped, and I absolutely owe my gratitude and a lot of affection to you all," Cullen said in a telephone interview with SCI FI Wire. "I'm grateful that the tenacity and insistence and great lobbying efforts may have helped my situation. ... Look, the bottom line is that a big huge major Hollywood voice in an animated film doesn't always work. It may work in some cases, but it would have been an injustice to not listen to you guys, and the point [from longtime fans] got across."

Frank Welker, who voiced Megatron, Optimus' arch nemesis, wasn't cast to reprise the role, instead the part went to actor Hugo Weaving (V for Vendetta). Cullen said he was disappointed that Welker wasn't hired.

"I don't really know the answers, but if you put Hollywood into a room, they are thinking about money," Cullen said. "There are the marketers, the promotions people, the creative and artistic people, and they'll all collide on money. Hollywood does not like to take risks."

Transformers is set to open nationwide on July 3.

Cathie Horlick
6/11/2007
Source: Sci Fi Wire

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