Looks like Optimus Prime and the Maximals have met their match as Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse are duking it out for the top spot at the box office, with both summer movies projected to earn more than $55 million domestically, according to trade reports.
On Friday, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts took the lead, surpassing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse with an opening day of $25.6 million from 3,678 theaters. Although industry estimates are predicting a $58 million opening, Paramount is forecasting a $60 million launch. Either outcome would exceed the pre-release projections of a $50-55 million start.
To recoup its reported $200 million production budget before marketing, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will require strong international turnout in addition to its domestic results. However, the film has already garnered a positive score from diehard fans, earning an A- on CinemaScore and a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will need to maintain this audience buzz to withstand the significant competition it will face from DC Studios The Flash next weekend.
What to expect from Rise of the Beasts
The next Transformers movie, which is inspired by the Beast Wars storyline, promises to bring the iconic robots back in an action-packed and explosive way. The first trailer for Rise of the Beasts made its debut this past December, but Paramount is ramping up the marketing campaign of the movie ahead of its release this Summer.
Rise of the Beasts is being planned as the first chapter in a new trilogy of Transformers films from Paramount Pictures. Steven Caple Jr. is directing the movie from a screenplay written by Joby Harold, Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber and Jon Hoeber.
Set during 1994, Rise of the Beasts follows two archeologists as they come into contact with three factions of Transformers — the Maximals, the Predacons and the Terrorcons. Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Vélez and Tobe Nwigwe spearhead the human cast while Peter Cullen, Ron Perlman, Michelle Yeoh, Pete Davidson, Peter Dinklage, Liza Koshy, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Cristo Fernández, Tobe Nwigwe and David Sobolov voice various members of the Transformers.
Rise of the Beasts is the seventh installment in the live-action Transformers series, which kicked off in 2007. The first six movies have grossed a total of $4.8 billion at the worldwide box office.
