From the toy action figures to feature films and television spanning animation and live action, the Transformers have over the decades sparked the imaginations of kids as well as those adults who have a sense of play and adventure.

The characters make for a stirring visual spectacle, literally transforming before our eyes. And that’s strikingly evident in the fully CG-animated Transformers One (Paramount Pictures), which hit theaters in September. However, the film goes well beyond spectacle by delving into what isn’t often visible to the naked eye--the soul and emotional makeup of the larger-than-life Transformers, thus bringing a new depth and dimension to the franchise. It’s almost as if the sensibilities of a Pixar movie have been woven into the Transformers cinematic fabric. And perhaps it’s no coincidence that the creative roots of the Transformers One director, Josh Cooley, are planted firmly in Pixar soil. Venturing beyond its eye candy norm and moving into empathetic territory, the Transformers movie now finds itself in the awards season conversation in the animation category--similar to how Pixar fare has fared over the years.

Cooley was with Pixar for 18 years before leaving and taking on Transformers One. He came aboard Pixar as a story intern right out of art school. Cooley moved up the ladder, including serving as a storyboard artist. He described that role as akin to being “kind of a mini-director, getting script pages and visualizing them.” He contributed to beloved films like The Incredibles, Ratatouille and Up. Cooley then shifted into other capacities, including co-writing Inside Out which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original... Read More