As a seasoned gamer with years of experience under my belt, I can’t help but draw parallels between the world of cinema and video games – both are driven by captivating stories, immersive visuals, and the pursuit of that elusive perfect score. The recent release of “Transformers One” reminds me of a much-anticipated indie game with promising reviews but a lukewarm launch.
Off-screen, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller found themselves less than content when their acclaimed movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, made a domestic debut of $35 million in early December 2018. Given that the CGI-animated film had received glowing reviews and an audience-pleasing A+ CinemaScore, some spectators had anticipated a $40 million opening or even more.
Despite their anxiety proving unnecessary, the PG movie unexpectedly thrived. This was due to phenomenal word-of-mouth – a highly valued asset in Hollywood marketing – which catapulted it into success. The film resonated with both families and diehard fans, leading to a staggering $190 million domestic gross, a record-breaking multiple. By introducing an animated series and live-action films into its superhero franchise, Sony managed a significant intellectual property achievement, as this expansion allowed them to broaden their appeal, particularly among kids and families.
Paramount aimed for similar success when producing “Transformers One“, their latest addition to one of their most lucrative franchises. However, despite positive critiques and high audience satisfaction ratings, the movie only managed to earn $24.6 million during its opening weekend from Sept. 20-22, falling short of the projected $30 million to $35 million. What’s more, it was outperformed by the third week of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice“, earning $25.9 million in an unexpected upset.
Those in the know acknowledge that the enthusiasm for an animated Transformers film, following seven live-action movies, wasn’t as widespread among 18-24 year old males, and family attendance was also lower than anticipated. However, they remain optimistic, suggesting the movie could draw extended success much like Spider-Verse, relying on positive word of mouth to drive box office revenue.
According to Comscore’s chief box office analyst, Paul Dergarabedian, there’s a chance that the Transformers movie could rebound. He acknowledges that transitioning a live-action franchise into animation can be difficult, but points out that the Spider-Verse series was an exception due to unique circumstances. However, if the film receives great reviews and strong audience ratings, it might find success in the upcoming weeks, just like Optimus Prime finds legs to move forward.
Wall Street analyst Eric Handler from Roth Capital Partners is more critical. “Transformers One” had a dismal opening, surprising given the positive reviews from critics and audiences. I’m unsure why attendance was low. Fortunately, the third quarter box office is expected to surpass predictions and will likely end with modest growth compared to last year, contrary to Wall Street forecasts predicting a decline of mid-single to high single digits.
Based on data from PostTrak flash exit polls, approximately 40% of the opening weekend viewers for last year’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” were aged between 18 and 24 years old. This is significantly higher than the 24% for “Transformers One”. Some rival studio executives believe that this film wasn’t considered ‘cool’ enough for that demographic, while others suggest that the advantage of being a sequel may have contributed to its popularity among younger audiences.
According to reports from Hasbro Entertainment and Paramount, the film “Transformers One” is not facing significant financial difficulties. This is because the $75 million budget was shared among Paramount, Hasbro, and New Republic equally. Additionally, there are no plans for Paramount or Hasbro to abandon future live-action Transformers films. In fact, longtime franchise producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura has been planning a crossover movie between Transformers and G.I. Joe, with Chris Hemsworth, who voices a character in “Transformers One,” set to star in the film.
Under the guidance of former Pixar artist Josh Cooley, Transformers One delves into the origin tale, revealing how the legendary Transformers, Optimus Prime and Megatron, evolved from inseparable comrades to sworn enemies on their native planet Cybertron. It’s been estimated that recreating Cybertron for a live-action movie would set producers back at least $300 million; animation significantly reduced those expenses.
From a die-hard Transformers fan here, I’ve got to say that the series really hit its stride with the third and fourth movies directed by Michael Bay – “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” (2011) and “Transformers: Age of Extinction” (2013). These epic films raked in over $1.1 billion each at the global box office! The fifth installment, “Transformers: The Last Knight,” directed by Bay, made a solid $602 million worldwide in 2017. Then came “Bumblebee” in late 2018, pulling in an impressive $465 million, and more recently, “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” (2023) grossed $439 million.
Most of the earnings for this series have historically come from foreign countries. As of now, Transformers One has only been released in about 40% of the international market, raking in $14 million. There are still significant markets such as China, South Korea, Brazil, Italy, Germany, the U.K., and France where it hasn’t been shown yet.
The main actors of the film have just begun a world tour, and Paramount is optimistic that this will be successful. Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry lend their voices to the primary characters, while Keegan-Michael Key, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm are also part of the voice cast.
Within our country, the upcoming release of the children’s book adaptation of ‘The Wild Robot,’ produced by DreamWorks Animation and Universal, could create a bit of a challenge or competition for both kids and their parents over the coming weekend.
With ‘The Wild Robot’ aiming for a similar audience as the PG family demographic, it’s hoped that there will be ample space for both movies to leave an impression during this competitive time of late September,” suggests Dergarabedian.
Supporters of Transformers One are still optimistic, with one source commenting, “The chapter isn’t closed yet.” As we’ve seen seven live-action films, delving into animation is a new territory. However, I believe audiences will embrace this new venture.
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2024-09-24 06:25