Paramount/Skydance/Hasbro’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is on the prowl overseas with $43.3M through Friday in 68 markets. This portends a $100M+ international box office debut, in line with projections. The domestic three-day is looking at $60M.
China, a key market for the franchise, released the Autobots and Maximals at No. 1 on Friday with $11.8M, 70% market share and a 9.2 score from audiences on Maoyan (on par with 2014’s Age of Extinction). It has since, as is often the case with fluctuating reactions, dropped a skosh to a 9.1 today which is far better than 2017’s The Last Knight (7.5) and tied with 2018 charmer Bumblebee (we’ve seen recently that high public notes have helped playability). Critical scores are well above The Last Knight, and slightly lower than Age of Extinction and Bumblebee at 6.4.
The Steven Caple Jr-directed franchise reboot with Saturday in China (Saturday not reflected in the total above) is an estimated $27M. This portends a three-day start in the low $40Ms.
Elsewhere, Mexico grossed $2.8M from its No. 1 opening Friday at 902 sites including previews. The release is the widest in the Transformers franchise.
Peru has been a standout with $855K on Friday at 107 locations — the biggest ever for the franchise, best ever Friday for Paramount and the year’s top Friday. At No. 1 in the market, it has cumed $2.6M including previews.
Indonesia, a Top 5 market on Bumblebee, grossed $830K on Friday at 431 locations and ranked No. 1. The three-day cume through Friday is $2.4M.
The UK opened at No.2 on Friday, and also in the series’ widest release, has a running cume of $1.5M.
We’ll have more on Sunday…