Premium Series

The Premium Series sub-line was the second and final subline imprint of the 2007 Transformers movie toyline, following the AllSpark Power sub-line.

The Premium Series consisted entirely of redecos of existing toys from the movie line, each sporting an improved (oftentimes metallic) and more movie-accurate finish and paint applications, plus movie-accurate or movie-inspired retools and new accessories in two cases. Four of the toys were released as store exclusives, whereas the rest was available as part of the mass retail assortments.

When the Premium Series was officially announced by Hasbro in October 2007, it was confirmed to include a few redecos that had already been released by that point (and therefore didn't sport any indication that they were supposed to be part of a Premium Series on the packaging), as well as various other toys that wouldn't be revealed until later.

Toyline

Mass retail Deluxe Class toys

• Autobot Jazz (redeco of Deluxe Autobot Jazz)
• Barricade (redeco of Deluxe Barricade)
• Bumblebee (redeco/remold of Deluxe Concept Camaro Bumblebee, sporting the same "battle mask" head sculpt as AllSpark Power Stealth Bumblebee)

Bumblebee was one of the three Premium Series toys also released by TakaraTomy in Japan, as MA-22 Bumblebee Battle Mode. Other than a sticker on the packaging (which was the same one also used by Hasbro) identifying him as a Japanese release, he was entirely identical to the Hasbro version.

Mass retail Voyager Class toys

• Ironhide (redeco of Voyager Class Ironhide)
• Blackout (redeco of Voyager Class Blackout, including a redeco of the Scorponok mini-figure in a color scheme based on the Deluxe Class Scorponok toy)

Blackout was one of the three Premium Series toys also released by TakaraTomy in Japan. Unlike the other two, however, which were available as mass market releases, Blackout was a Lawson exclusive, officially named "Blackout version 4500X", sold in the original toy's packaging (which was identical to the original version's Hasbro packaging) with additional stickers, one identifying the toy as a Japanese release, the other one as a "limited" release, and available before the mass retail Hasbro version came out. So essentially, Hasbro used the same colors and paint masks from the Lawson exclusive Blackout for their mass-market Premium Series Blackout, save for minimally different details.

Mass retail Leader Class toys

• Optimus Prime (redeco/remold of Leader Class Optimus Prime, sporting a new, more movie-accurate head sculpt and replacing the gun with a detachable, movie-inspired blade)

Optimus Prime was one of the three Premium Series toys also released by TakaraTomy in Japan, as MA-21 Optimus Prime Battle Mode. Unlike Bumblebee and Blackout, there are noticeable differences between the Hasbro and the TakaraTomy versions of Optimus Prime: The Hasbro version only uses a few, semi-random and incomplete silver paint applications for the vehicle mode and omits several paint details from the original release of the mold in return; whereas the TakaraTomy version, on the other hand, sports a vacuum metallized (chromed) paint job on almost all gray/silver vehicle mode parts, most notably the front grille.

• Megatron (redeco of Leader Class Megatron)

Target exclusives

• Robo-Vision Optimus Prime (redeco of Voyager Class Optimus Prime)

This toy was available long before the Premium Series was officially announced by Hasbro. As a consequence, no indication that it is supposed to be part of any kind of Premium Series can be found on its packaging. Even more oddly, this version was actually available from Target stores a few weeks before the regular, non-"Premium" version of this mold was officially released.

• Deep Space Starscream (redeco of Voyager Class Starscream)

Best Buy exclusives

• Autobot Ratchet (metallic movie-accurate redeco of Voyager Class Ratchet)
• Megatron (metallic movie-accurate redeco of Voyager Class Megatron)

These toys were available shortly before the Premium Series was officially announced by Hasbro. As a consequence, no indication that they are supposed to be part of any kind of Premium Series can be found on their packaging.

Walmart exclusives

• The Legacy of Bumblebee (movie-inspired minor redeco of Classics Deluxe Class Bumblebee, regular movie Deluxe Class Premium Series Bumblebee and regular Deluxe Class Animated Bumblebee

While not technically a distinct Premium Series release, this Walmart exclusive three-pack contains a "Premium" Bumblebee that is unchanged from its single release.

Legacy

The Premium Series was later revived by Hasbro Asia with the Asia Premium Series.

The idea of "premium" redecos of previously released toys was also later revived with the Platinum Edition line, which was eventually absorbed into the Age of Extinction toyline.

The TakaraTomy line Transformers Movie The Best, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the films, included screen-accurate versions of various toys, including a couple from all the way back in the 2007 line.

Notes

• In case you weren't keeping track, Brawl and Bonecrusher are the only characters from the film who didn't get Premium Series redecos. But they did show up in Asia Premium Series and Transformers Movie The Best respectively, if that's any consolation.

Foreign names

• French: Série Excellence (Canada)
• Spanish: Serie Excelencia (America)