Bumblebee has had incredible reviews thus far but is currently projected to have the lowest box office opening of any film in the Transformers series. Hailee Steinfeld leads the new film, which is not directed by Michael Bay and has been widely praised by critics. Its heart, its story and its performances have all been lauded, with many saying it’s the movie original Transformers fans have been waiting for all along. But with an exceptionally crowded Christmas at the box office about to kick off, will it struggle to stand out?
With this being the first December since 2014 without a new Star Wars movie, several studios looked to capitalize on the lucrative holiday season by releasing major tentpoles this month. Aquaman and Mary Poppins Returns are also due for release in the US over the coming days, and Bumblebee, it seems, is most at risk of being overshadowed.
According to Box Office Pro, Bumblebee is estimated to make around $22 million in its opening weekend – within its initial October projections of $15-25 million, but still a long way shy of its predecessors. Still, this is hardly an ideal showing for Paramount. Case in point: Aquaman was once projected to make as much as $60 million this weekend, but now that’s up to $82 million. The latest DC film is expected to bring in $120 million during the extended Christmas weekend.
The saving grace for Paramount is that compared to the other Transformers movies, Bumblebee was relatively cheap to make with a budget between $100-137 million. This means it doesn’t need to rewrite the record books to turn a profit.
Source: Box Office Pro
