After five entries in the Transformers saga that have received mixed critical reception at best and absolute critical evisceration at worst, Bumblebee is breaking that streak as by far the most critically-acclaimed entry in the franchise. Now, the film has rolled out into theaters and Thursday night previews have helped rake in $2.85 million for the standalone adventure.
When combined with the $700,000 sneak preview from two weeks ago, Bumblebee has now raked in $3 million in previews alone. Although the film faces heavy competition at the Christmas box office against the likes of Aquaman, Mary Poppins Returns and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, positive word of mouth from critics and audiences can help it have strong legs throughout the rest of the holiday season and well into February.
Now that Michael Bay is no longer behind the camera and Kubo and the Two Strings director Travis Knight is at the helm, this more family-oriented take with Bumblebee can bring back trust from audiences after the diminishing returns from the Bay-directed Transformers sequels that reached an all-time low at the U.S. box office with Transformers: The Last Knight in 2017.
Have you had the opportunity to see Bumblebee yet? Sound off in the comments below, and be sure to continue following Heroic Hollywood for all the latest news at the upcoming box office results for Christmastime and the future of the Transformers franchise.
Here is the synopsis for Bumblebee:
On the run in the year 1987, Bumblebee finds refuge in a junkyard in a small Californian beach town. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), on the cusp of turning 18 and trying to find her place in the world, discovers Bumblebee, battle-scarred and broken. When Charlie revives him, she quickly learns this is no ordinary, yellow VW bug.
Directed by Travis Knight from a script written by Christina Hodson, the film stars Hailee Steinfeld, Pamela Adlon, John Cena, Stephen Schneider, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Jason Ian Drucker, Kenneth Choi, Ricardo Hoyos, Abby Quinn, Rachel Crow, and Grace Dzienny.
Bumblebee is in theaters now!
Source: Forbes