If you grew up on 1986 animation trauma, Hasbro and Fathom Entertainment just gave you a calendar with teeth. The Transformers: The Movie is heading back to theaters in 4K for its 40th anniversary, tickets open August 7, and the new Comic-Con trailer confirms the real hook is not nostalgia alone. There is a never-before-seen cinematic chapter that plays after the credits, theater-only.
Dates that matter
Tickets: on sale worldwide August 7, 2026
Screenings: begin September 17, 2026 (Transformers Day), with the U.S. limited run listed through September 21
Formats called out for the U.S. and U.K.: remastered 4K, plus premium large format 4DX at participating sites
Markets named so far: United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Germany, with more to be announced
That schedule comes straight from Hasbro and Fathom's July 24 announcement. Treat local showtimes and 4DX availability as theater-by-theater once the August 7 inventory goes live on Fathom and box offices.
What the new trailer actually sells
The official TRANSFORMERS channel cut mixes classic Unicron-era energy with the Apology Tour branding Hasbro has been running around Optimus Prime's death in the film. The concrete utility fact is at the end of the pitch: stay seated. Hasbro and Fathom say audiences will see an exclusive post-credits chapter created for this theatrical event, previewed in the Comic-Con trailer and not framed as a home-video freebie.
Every Epic Saga Has a Secret. As This Journey Ends, a New One Begins.
That tagline is how Hasbro and Fathom are teasing the new chapter in their press materials. They are not publishing a plot synopsis, cast list, or runtime for the addition. If you leave when the end crawl starts, you miss the only new footage they are using to justify another big-screen pass.
What the clip does not tell you
Whether the post-credits chapter continues 1986 continuity, bridges to modern continuity, or is a standalone thank-you piece
Exact 4DX house counts outside the U.S./U.K. language in the release
How many nights your local multiplex will actually book beyond the September 17 through 21 window
Purchase limits on U.S. collectible popcorn buckets and drinkware (participating theaters, while supplies last)
Also useful context: this sits inside Hasbro's year-long "Apology Tour" framing around Optimus Prime's death, with companion merch and the Reformatted Edition soundtrack already out, including the Sebastian Bach-featured single "Nothing's Gonna Stand In Our Way." Fun, but none of that replaces the theater-only chapter.
How to get tickets
Set a reminder for August 7. Start at the Fathom Transformers 40th hub and your usual theater apps once inventory unlocks. If you care about the new chapter, plan for the full runtime plus credits, not a quick nostalgia drop-in.
Follow more movie event coverage on our movies feed and the Transformers hub as showtimes firm up.