TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE was based on the animated TV series by the same name. The film was directed by Nelson Shin, who produced the original Transformers television series, and features the voices of Eric Idle, Judd Nelson, Leonard Nimoy, Casey Kasem, Robert Stack, Lionel Stander, John Moschitta, Jr.., Peter Cullen and Frank Welker. It also marked the final roles for both Orson Welles, who died just days after his last voice recording session for the film, and Scatman Crothers, who died months after it's release.

Set to a soundtrack of synth-based incidental music and hard-driving metal music, composed by Vince DiCola, the movie has a decidedly darker tone than the television series. Stan Bush's song 'The Touch', which prominently featured in the film, was originally written for the Sylvester Stallone movie COBRA.

The movie also features other well-known songs including 'Instruments of Destruction' by NRG, Stan Bush's song 'Dare', two songs by Spectre General, 'Nothin's Gonna Stand in Our Way', 'Hunger' as well as 'Weird Al' Yankovic's song 'Dare to Be Stupid'. The TRANSFORMERS theme song for the movie was performed by the band Lion.