The bots are back.
From Paramount and Skydance, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts bit off a promising $8.8 million in previews as it battles for the hearts and souls of summer moviegoers. The preview grosses include select fan screenings on Wednesday and regular Thursday showings.
The tentpole is considered a direct sequel to 2018’s Bumblebee and a prequel to the first Transformers live-action film series that starred Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox. The movie, directed by Steven Caple Jr., opens after a five-year hiatus for the series and hopes to revive the franchise.
Rise of the Beasts follows Optimus Prime and the Autobots on their biggest challenge yet, when a new threat capable of destroying the entire planet emerges. Together with the Maximals — who make their big-screen debut — they must save the world.
The human heroes of the story include new characters portrayed by Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback.
The cast celebrated at the film’s premiere earlier this week in New York City, including Cristo Fernández, who voices Wheeljack, the first Latin Autobot in Transformers history. And Liza Koshy voices the femme Autobot Arcee. Pete Davidson voices the new bot Mirage, while series stalwart Peter Cullen once again voices Optimus Prime.
The Maximals stem from Beast Wars, a syndicated animated television series that ran from 1996 to 1999, featuring Transformers who take animal shapes. In the movie, the fan-favorite robot beasts include Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman), a gorilla; Airazor (Michelle Yeoh), a peregrine falcon; Rhinox (David Sobolov); and Cheetor (Tongayi Chirisa). This breed of Transformers who sport genuine-seeming fur, skin and wings represents a nice contrast from the vehicular brand to which fans have become accustomed.
Producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Tom DeSanto, who have been with the franchise since the first 2007 film, returned for Rise of the Beasts.
Tracking suggests Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will open in the $55 million to $60 million range, but that could be a conservative estimate.
The film hopes to topple Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which opened to more than $120 million last week.
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
HollyWood
