The Future of the Transformers Franchise: Insights from Rise of the Beasts Box Office.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Makes $8.8 Million in Previews, But Can It Save the Franchise?

The latest entry in the Transformers movie franchise, titled “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts,” has made $8.8 million in Thursday previews at the domestic box office. The movie is looking to bring in $50 million to $60 million in its opening weekend, but it faces a formidable opponent in last week’s No. 1 movie, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” which is aiming for $45 million to $55 million in its second weekend.

Franchise Struggles

This latest Transformers movie is the seventh entry in the long-running series, but the franchise has been struggling lately. The previous entry, the 2018 “Bumblebee” movie, only opened to $21.6 million, a franchise-low, despite earning $2.85 million in Thursday previews. The 2017 movie “The Last Knight” earned $8.1 million in previews and a $44.68 million opening weekend.

Can it Bounce Back?

The fact that “Rise of the Beasts” earned higher previews bodes well for it to reverse the course of the franchise. The movie introduces the Maximals and Terrorcons, two ancient factions of Transformers that can turn into robotic animals. Fan-favorite Autobots Optimus Prime and Bumblebee are joined by newcomers to defeat the evil Terrorcons, led by Peter Dinklage’s Scourge.

The Cast

“Hamilton” and “In the Heights” star Anthony Ramos leads the cast of “Rise of the Beasts” along with Dominique Fishback, who starred in Prime Video’s TV series “Swarm” earlier this year. The film also stars Pete Davidson as Mirage, Ron Perlman as Optimus Primal, Michelle Yeoh as Airazor, and Liza Koshy as Arcee.

Editorial

The Transformers franchise has always been a mixed bag. Despite being lucrative at the box office, the critical reception to the movies has been lukewarm, at best. The series has also struggled to find a consistent tone, with each entry feeling tonally different from the last.

Moreover, the franchise has been criticized for its over-reliance on spectacle and special effects at the cost of character development and storytelling. While some may argue that the movies are a guilty pleasure, it’s hard to argue that they are great cinema.

Advice

In the end, whether or not “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” can save the franchise remains to be seen. However, if the movie wants to improve the perception of the franchise and attract a wider audience, it needs to focus on character development and storytelling. Audiences are more discerning than ever, and they want more than just mindless action and special effects. If “Rise of the Beasts” can deliver a compelling story and flesh out its characters, it might just be the shot in the arm the franchise needs.