'Rise of the Beasts' rises as a new champion in the latest edition of the North American chart, toppling 'Across the Spider-Verse' with a better-than-expected opening gross.
- Jun 12, 2023
AceShowbiz - "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" has raced its way to the top of the domestic box office. After a close race with "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse", the latest installment in the Paramount sci-fi film franchise comes out victorious at No. 1 with an estimated $60.5 million.
Prior to its debut, there was a concern because recent chapters produced lesser turnovers than the previous installments. Initial ticket sales for "Rise of the Beasts", however, were notably better than 2018's "Bumblebee" ($21.6 million) and 2017's "Transformers: The Last Knight" ($44.68 million), an encouraging sign that the action series isn't yet running out of fuel.
"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."
"To have a No. 1 debut is impressive given the formidable competition from 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse', which had a much stronger opening than anyone anticipated and in its second weekend is a really powerful player," Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, also weighs in.
"Rise of the Beasts" earned additional $110 million from 68 international markets, giving it a $170.5 million global debut, though reviews have been mixed. The Steven Caple Jr.-directed movie earned an A- CinemaScore from audiences and excellent PostTrak scores, while only 53% of 150 critics' reviews are positive on Rotten Tomatoes.
With the rise of a new champion, "Across the Spider-Verse" is pushed down to No. 2. The sequel to 2018's Oscar winner "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" is still solid in its second weekend with an estimated $55.4 million.
"The Little Mermaid (2023)" continues to dip as it descends to No. 3 with approximately $22.8 million for a total of $229.8 million domestically after three weeks in theaters. The Disney live-action movie has been struggling at international box office amid racist backlash over the casting of Halle Bailey as the titular character, bringing in only $185.4 million in foreign tally so far.
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" stays steady at No. 4 with an estimated $7.03 million, followed by "The Boogeyman" which plunges from No. 3 to No. 5 with approximately $6.9 million.
Top 10 of North America Box Office (June 09-11, 2023):
- "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" - $60.5 million
- "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" - $55.4 million
- "The Little Mermaid (2023)" - $22.8 million
- "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" - $7.03 million
- "The Boogeyman" - $6.9 million
- "Fast X" - $5.2 million
- "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" - $2.1 million
- "About My Father" - $845,000
- "The Machine" - $575,000
- "Past Lives" - $520,772
