Transformers Topples Spider-Verse With $60 Million Debut After Heated Box Office Battle

Spider-Man put up a good fight, but the Autobots came out on top.

After an unusually close box office battle, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” pulled ahead of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” debuting in first place to $60.5 million. Sony’s animated “Spider-Verse follow-up still managed a mighty second weekend, landing in second place with an estimated $55 million.

For “Rise of the Beasts,” which is the seventh installment in the “Transformers” franchise,” inaugural ticket sales were dramatically better than the last two entries, 2018’s “Bumblebee” ($21.6 million) and 2017’s “The Last Knight” ($44.68 million). It’s an encouraging sign that Paramount’s action series isn’t yet running on fumes. Reviews were mixed, but audiences embraced the film with an “A-” CinemaScore.

“The jump above the previous film’s opening is excellent,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “Episodes six and seven are where action series either find new creative energy and extend their run (‘Mission: Impossible,’ ‘Fast & Furious,’ ‘Planet of the Apes’) or start winding down (‘Terminator,’ ‘Predator’). Only James Bond lives forever.”

But the tentpole, directed by Steven Caple Jr. and starring Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, cost $200 million. It’ll need to resonate at the international box office to justify that hefty price tag.

There’s still plenty to celebrate for “Spider-Verse,” which is already a huge theatrical winner with $226 million after 10 days in theaters. By comparison, its 2018 predecessor “Into the Spider-Verse” ended its box office run with $190 million in North America and $384 million globally.

Elsewhere at the box office, three holdovers from Disney rounded out the top of North American charts. In third place, “The Little Mermaid” added $22 million from 4,320 theaters, declining 46% from the weekend prior. After three weeks of release, the live-action remake is swimming along with $228 million at the domestic box office. The big-budget film has been struggling at the international box office, where ticket sales have been floundering with $141 million. At one point, there was hope “The Little Mermaid” would near the $1 billion mark but after a disappointing turnout overseas, it’ll be lucky to hit $500 million.

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” took the No. 4 spot with $6.9 million from 3,175 venues in its sixth weekend on the big screen. So far, the comic book adventure has grossed $335 million in North America, which is above the original 2014 “Guardians of the Galaxy” ($333 million) but below the 2017 sequel ($389 million).

In fifth place, “The Boogeyman” added $6.7 million from 3,205 theaters, marking a 46% decline from its debut. The movie, adapted from Stephen King’s short story of the same name, has generated $24.5 million to date.

More to come…

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