'Transformers' edge out 'Spider-Verse' to claim first place at box office
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It was Miles Morales and the Spider-Verse versus the 'Transformers' at the box office this weekend and the bots came out on top.
It was Miles Morales and the Spider-Verse versus the "Transformers" at the box office this weekend and the bots came out on top.
"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," the seventh entry in the series, took the No. 1 spot in its first weekend in North American theatres with US$60.5 million according to studio estimates Sunday. " Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse " wasn't too far behind, however, with an estimated $55.4 million in its second weekend.
Paramount Pictures released "Rise of the Beasts" in 3,678 locations starting with Thursday previews. Set in 1994, it's technically a sequel to the 1980s-set "Bumblebee" and a prequel to the other films. With a new cast led by Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback and a new director in Steven Caple Jr., it's also an attempt to reset and breathe fresh life into the $4.8 billion franchise.
"Rise of the Beasts" also earned $110 million from 68 international markets, giving it a $170.5 million global debut.
Critics didn't love the movie, but that's also par for the course for this franchise. Overall, Rotten Tomatoes aggregated a less-than-fresh 52 per cent rating.
"The problem with "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" is the same problem faced by all of the installments -- balancing the humanity with the metal," wrote AP's Mark Kennedy in his review.
In fact, the only movie that did get a fresh rating was "Bumblebee," which also made the least money of all of them. Audiences (62 per cent male) were more positive, giving "Rise of the Beasts" an A- CinemaScore. According to PostTrak surveys, general audiences gave it 4.5 stars out of 5.
