Transformers 2 Makes $200M in 5 Days

Published by Jeff Leins on: June 29th, 2009

From Wednesday to Sunday, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen became only the second film ever to make $200 million in five days.

The explosive sequel to Michael Bay’s 2007 original added an additional $109 million over the weekend at the domestic box office to sneak above the coveted threshold and land just under The Dark Knight’s $203.8M start.  The toy flick set box office records on opening day and continued strong to recoup its reported $200M production budget in just five days, while overseas the movie has earned another $190 million.  This easily passes the Wednesday launch 5-day record set by Spider-Man 2 ($152.4 million).

Transformers 2 also played on 169 IMAX screens, made $14.4M from the “IMAX Experience” in 5 days, and $3.9M on a single day, three record-breaking figures for the company.  The stock shot up 19% and I made a little silver lining off this garbage.

It is the very definition of critic proof.  20% of reviewers thought the movie was any good and the rest recognized it for the big-budget disaster that it really is.  But it made money and that’s all that really matters, right fanboys?

The die-hard sheep will point out The Dark Knight opened in slightly more theaters (4,366 to 4,234 locations) and Batman wasn’t contending with the Thursday turmoil over Michael Jackson’s death.  Unfortunately, comparisons will be made for years between Nolan’s quality filmmaking and Bay’s full scale mediocrity.

The only other wide opening was the Warner Bros tearjerker My Sister’s Keeper, which came in at the low end of expectations with $12.4 million.  The cancer drama/counter programming starred Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin.

In second was the romantic comedy The Proposal with $18.6 million, while its competition last weekend, Year One, plummeted 69.3% to sixth and $6 million.

An excellent Iraq film, The Hurt Locker, opened in 4 locations with a per theater average of $36,338.  I recommend this if it’s in your area.

3-Day weekend actuals:
1. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen $109 million
2. The Proposal $18.6 million
3. The Hangover $17 million
4. Up $13.1 million
5. My Sister’s Keeper $12.4 million
6. Year One $6 million
7. The Taking of Pelham 123 $5.4 million
8. Star Trek $3.7 million
9. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian $3.6 million
10. Away We Go $1.7 million