Claim: Transformers was advertised through viral marketing.

Transformers is a 2007 American science fiction action film based on the toy line of the same name created by Hasbro . The film , which combines computer animation with live-action filming , was directed by Michael Bay , with Steven Spielberg serving as executive producer . It was produced by Don Murphy and Tom DeSanto , and is the first installment in the live-action Transformers film series . The film stars Shia LaBeouf as Sam Witwicky , a teenager who gets caught up in a war between the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons , two factions of alien robots who can disguise themselves by transforming into everyday machinery , primarily vehicles . The Autobots intend to use the AllSpark , the object that created their robotic race , to rebuild their home planet Cybertron and end the war , while the Decepticons have the intention of using it to build an army by giving life to the machines of Earth . Tyrese Gibson , Josh Duhamel , Anthony Anderson , Megan Fox , Rachael Taylor , John Turturro , and Jon Voight also star , while voice actors Peter Cullen and Hugo Weaving voice Optimus Prime and Megatron respectively .   Murphy and DeSanto developed the project in 2003 , and DeSanto wrote a treatment . Steven Spielberg came on board the following year , hiring Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman to write the screenplay . The U.S. Armed Forces and General Motors -LRB- GM -RRB- loaned vehicles and aircraft during filming , which saved money for the production and added realism to the battle scenes . Hasbro 's promotional campaign for the film included deals with various companies ; advertising included a viral marketing campaign , coordinated releases of prequel comic books , toys , and books , as well as product placement deals with companies such as GM , Burger King , and eBay .   Transformers received mixed to positive reviews from critics and fans , and is the 87th highest-grossing film of all-time and was the fifth highest-grossing film of 2007 , grossing $ 709 million worldwide , with an estimated 46 million tickets sold in the US . The film won four awards from the Visual Effects Society and was nominated for three Academy Awards , for Best Sound Editing , Best Sound Mixing , and Best Visual Effects . LaBeouf 's performance was praised by Empire , and Cullen 's reprisal of Optimus Prime from the 1980s television series was well received by fans . It was soon followed by four sequels : Revenge of the Fallen -LRB- 2009 -RRB- , Dark of the Moon -LRB- 2011 -RRB- , and Age of Extinction -LRB- 2014 -RRB- , the later two of which grossed $ 1 billion . A fifth installment , titled The Last Knight , is scheduled for release on June 23 , 2017 .