In a surprise twist, the Bots got squeezed out by Beetlejuice Beetlejuice at the weekend box office.
Paramount and Hasbro Entertainment’s Transformers One was expected to open to at least $30 million to $35 million in North America, more than enough to top the chart. Instead, it came in at an an estimated $25 million versus an estimated $26 million for Warner Bros.’ Beetlejuice sequel, which is now in is third weekend.
Transformers One had held a slight edge as of Saturday morning, but the necessary traffic needed to eke out a victory didn’t materialize. The movie also opened overseas, but numbers weren’t immediately available.
The unwelcome news comes despite glowing reviews, awards buzz, an A CinemaScore and stellar exits, but Paramount and Hasbro always knew they were taking a risk by returning to the franchise’s roots and making a CGI-animated film with a family-friendly PG rating, versus a PG-13 live-action extravaganza targeting fanboys. The movie hoped to play to both demos, but so far, the turnout has been soft on both fronts.
Paramount has struggled for years to relaunch the marquee film franchise based on the popular Hasbro toy line.
Directed by Pixar alum John Cooley, the movie is an origin story, chronicling how two of the most iconic Transformers, Optimus Prime and Megatron, went from best friends to archnemeses. Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry voice the two characters, with Keegan-Michael Key, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm also in the voice cast.
“Consider this a franchise revitalized,” wrote Frank Scheck in his review of the film for The Hollywood Reporter.
The modestly budgeted event pic cost $75 million to produce before marketing, which minimizes the sting of the weak domestic opening. The hope now is that it can find its footing and enjoy a long run in theaters, although the entry of DreamWorks Animation and Universal’sThe Wild Robot next weekend complicates matters.
The weekend’s two other new releases are in far worse shape. Lionsgate’s Halle Berry pic Never Let Go came in fourth place with an estimated $4.5 million, while Mubi’s The Substance, starring Demi Moore, is on course to open to less than $3 million for a sixth-place finish.
More to come.
Sept. 22, 8 a.m.: Updated with revised weekend estimates.
This story was originally published Sept. 21 at 9:23 a.m..