Twenty years ago, skyrocketing gas prices linked to a war in the Middle East spurred questions over how to minimize reliance on fossil fuels. (Sound familiar?) The topic rolled into cinemas with filmmaker Chris Paine’s documentary feature Who Killed the Electric Car? 

It was the directorial debut for the environmental activist and proud lessee of the EV1, launched by GM in 1996 as one of the first American mass-produced electric vehicles before being discontinued and recalled by the early 2000s. Friends encouraged Paine to make a film to assess blame; he enlisted Martin Sheen as narrator, with the star donating his salary to charity. Independence Day producer Dean Devlin joined to honor his late dad’s love for the vehicle and connected the team with friend Mel Gibson, who spoke fondly about his own EV1; other voices included Ed Begley Jr., Ralph Nader and Phyllis Diller. 

Sony Pictures Classics acquired the project in November 2005 just before it got into Sundance, and hired Alex Gibney as a consulting producer following his Enron doc’s success. “Sony calls with Alex on the line, and it was a two-hour-long call [where] we all just listened,” recalls producer Jessie Deeter. While the feedback was appreciated, it meant an overhaul to create more of an arc. After its rousing Sundance premiere, the movie’s trailer ran ahead of doc hit An Inconvenient Truth, with its high profile leading GM to issue statements attempting to discredit Electric Car.  

The doc ends optimistically with a brief shot of the Tesla Roadster prototype. Indeed, Elon Musk’s company would help spur today’s EV popularity, which was the focus of a 2011 sequel. Now acknowledging that EVs weren’t killed, just delayed until companies could make them profitable, Paine says, “The film asks the right question, but maybe not the complete one.” 

This story appeared in the July 22 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

The 1986 animated Transformers: The Movie is getting a 4K theatrical re-release from Fathom Entertainment in partnership with Hasbro on Sept. 17.

The Nelson Shin directed movie featured the voices of the late Orson Welles, Robert Stack, and Leonard Nimoy respectively in the roles of Unicorn, Ultra Magnus, and Galvatron. Tickets go on sale on Aug. 7. The news was made at Comic-Con this weekend which showed off an all-new post-credits sequence. The new cut will also feature an exclusive addition to the original pic.

Transformers: The Movie is part of Hasbro’s “Apology Tour,” a year-long campaign acknowledging the death of Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) in The Transformers: The Movie. The re-release will also play in the UK/Ireland, Canada, Australia/NZ, Mexico and Germany. Additional markets will be announced.

Fans counting down to the theatrical re-release can rock out to The Transformers: The Movie: The Soundtrack: The Reformatted Edition album, available now on major streaming platforms and vinyl, including the new single “Nothing’s Gonna Stand In Our Way” featuring Sebastian Bach.

Transformers: The Movie was released in the heyday of the Hasbro toys by the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group and made $5.8M in North America.

Paramount after its multi-billion dollar success with the live action/CGI Transformers movies made a go at another animated title, Transformers: One which made $129.4M at the global box office ($59M domestic).

Watch the new trailer above.

At San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, director Ryan Coogler took the stage to announce that not only will Black Panther 3 hit theaters on December 15, 2028, but David Jonsson will play T’Challa’s grown son who was introduced at the end of Wakanda Forever.

Jonsson had a role in last year’s The Long Walk, directed by Francis Lawrence. Coogler specifically mentioned that film as he introduced Jonsson onstage.

Black Panther cast members Letitia Wright and Winston Duke also joined Coogler, Kevin Feige and Jonsson onstage.

Duke later told Deadline that he had spoken with Jonsson for the first time earlier that day.

“I wanted to extend to him the grace that was extended to me. Black Panther was my very first film, and I was invited to create something really cool with a lot of grace, with a lot of safety. I wanted to just let him know that we’re here to support, we’re here to help, we’re here to augment, we’re here to be here for him and for him to do his best work,” the actor, who plays the fierce M’Baku in the films.

“I din’t want to say anything else but, ‘Come play,” Duke continued.

You can watch the whole thing below.