Transformers Franchise Bottoms Out, Is This The End?
The theatrical run of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has come and gone, and the jury is out on whether or not the movie could be considered a success. While the film got relatively decent reviews for a Transformers movie, it’s possible that it didn’t even break even at the box office. Slash Film looked at the numbers and determined that the film will likely need to get some positive momentum in the Video on Demand market to get in the green.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the lowest-grossing installment in the franchise yet
As Slash Film breaks it down, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts made around $436.6 million worldwide, with $157 million coming in from the domestic markets. While these numbers aren’t small potatoes, the international take doesn’t go completely into the pockets of the studios. This is especially true in markets like China, where a trade agreement stipulates that US studios only make 25 percent of the profits.
This means that the roughly $91 million that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts made in China will only net Paramount Pictures around $22 million. Of course, you also have to factor in the marketing costs and other post-production overhead that comes with releasing a major blockbuster movie. Add to the fact the film had a production budget of around $200 million, and it makes sense why the film was considered a box-office disappointment.
The roughly $91 million that Transformers: Rise of the Beasts made in China will only net Paramount Pictures around $22 million.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is the lowest-grossing installment in the franchise yet, though it barely beat out Bumblebee at the domestic box office, the latter film was able to make up the difference in the international markets. With all of this being said, fans of the franchise don’t have to fret yet, as Paramount Pictures doesn’t seem like it will let what was once a money-making juggernaut go quite so easily.
There are plenty of planned projects in the pipeline, though those could always be nixed if Paramount doesn’t see a financial angle to exploit.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts has already been announced as an intended beginning to a new trilogy for the franchise, and it was also announced that future installments would progressively include aspects of Paramount’s other toy franchise, G.I. Joe. If Paramount Pictures intended to build a connected universe, it seems unlikely that we won’t get at least a few more movies. Of course, there’s no guarantee that incorporating these elements will get fans to the theaters to buy tickets.
The film had a production budget of around $200 million, and it makes sense why the film was considered a box-office disappointment.
Regardless of what the future of the franchise holds, we will definitely be getting at least one more film in the form of Transformers One, which is an animated film set for a September 2024 release date. The film will be animated by Industrial Light & Magic and star a voice cast that includes Chris Hemsworth as Orion Pax / Optimus Prime, Brian Tyree Henry as Megatron, Scarlett Johansson as Elita-One, Keegan-Michael Key as Bumblebee, Jon Hamm as Sentinel Prime, and Laurence Fishburne as Alpha Trion.
Perhaps that film will end up being a surprise success, and the future of the franchise could be in the animated medium.
