Yahoo News ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ Beats ‘Spider-Man’ With $61M Box Office Opening
In a decisive win for the Autobots after being stuck on autopilot for years, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opened to a promising $61 million at the domestic box office, more than enough to topple popular holdover Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and win the crowded summer weekend, according to final weekend actuals.
Rise of the Beasts — which successfully revives the Hasbro toy-to-movie franchise after several fits and starts — landed on the high end of expectations and even came in ahead of Sunday’s estimate of $60.5 million. While reviews have been mixed, the Paramount and Skydance pic earned an A- CinemaScore from audiences and excellent PostTrak scores.
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Younger adults made up the majority of ticket buyers, with 56 percent between ages 18-34, including 34 percent between 18-24, according to PostTrak. The male-skewing film is playing to an ethnically diverse audience (Latino, 32 percent; white, 31 percent; Black, 21 percent; and Asian/other, 16 percent).
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts also did sizable business overseas, earning $110 million for an early global roar of $171 million. It opened to $40 million in China, a far better start than many recent Hollywood pics and the second-biggest start of the year so far. The film did notably better in many markets than Bumblebee did (China was an exception).
The tentpole is considered a direct sequel to 2018’s Bumblebee and a prequel to the first Transformers live-action film series that starred Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. The movie, directed by Steven Caple Jr., comes after a five-year hiatus for the series and opened well ahead of the past two installments: 2018’s Bumblebee reboot posted a three-day opening of $21.6 million, preceded by $44.6 million for 2017’s Transformers: The Last Knight.
Rise of the Beasts follows Optimus Prime and the Autobots as they face their biggest challenge yet, when a new threat capable of destroying the entire planet emerges. Together with the Maximals — who make their big-screen debut — they must save the world.
The human heroes of the story include new characters portrayed by Hamilton’s Anthony Ramos and Swarm‘s Dominique Fishback.
The cast, including Cristo Fernández and Liza Koshy, celebrated at the film’s premiere last week in New York. Fernández voices Wheeljack, the first Latino Autobot in Transformers history, while Koshy voices the femme Autobot Arcee. Pete Davidson voices the new bot Mirage, while series stalwart Peter Cullen once again voices Optimus Prime.
The Maximals stem from Beast Wars, a syndicated animated television series that ran from 1996 to 1999, featuring Transformers who take animal shapes. In the movie, the fan-favorite robot beasts include Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman), a gorilla; Airazor (Michelle Yeoh), a peregrine falcon; Rhinox (David Sobolov); and Cheetor (Tongayi Chirisa).
Sony Animation’s box office sensation Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which opened to more than $120 million last week, fell 54 percent to an estimated $55.4 million for a 10-day domestic tally of $225.4 million — which is already more than the $190.4 million earned by Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in its entire domestic run. Overseas, it earned another $47 million for a foreign cume of $164.5 million and $389.9 million worldwide, also ahead of the first film.
Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid jumped the $400 million mark globally in its third outing. It placed No. 3 domestically with $22.8 million for a domestic tally of $229.8 million. Overseas, it earned another $25.9 million for a foreign tally of $185.4 million (in markets including China and South Korea, a racist backlash has hurt the film).
The Disney empire also took the fourth and fifth spots domestically. James Gunn and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 jumped the $800 million mark globally. It finished Sunday with $805.9 million in worldwide ticket sales, a franchise record if excluding Russia. The first Guardians earned $773.4 million, followed by $863 million for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Without Russia, they earned $647 million and $801 million, respectively.
Disney and 20th Century’s The Boogeyman, based on a Stephen King short story, rounded out the top five with $6.9 million for a 10-day domestic total of $24.7 million and $14.9 million globally.
June 11, 7:02 a.m.: Updated with revised box office.
June 11, 8:15 a.m.: Updated with foreign numbers.
June 12, 7:50 a.m.: Updated with weekend actuals for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.
This story was originally published on June 10 at 7:38 a.m.
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