Pamela McClintock of THR:
Paramount's Transformers: Age of Extinction debuted to $100 million in North America, the best number of the year to date. Overseas, it was even more massive in its initial assault, taking in $201.3 million for a worldwide bow of $301.3 million.
The $210 million tentpole, earning an A- CinemaScore despite blistering review, is the first movie of 2014 so far to reach the $100 million threshold. And it's easily the biggest opening of star Mark Wahlberg's career, thanks to a strong turnout by males (64 percent).
Age of Extinction -- featuring a new leading man in Wahlberg, who replaces the troubled Shia LaBeouf -- broke records in China, earning $90 million to mark the top opening of all time for any film. The movie went to great lengths to prosper in China, including shooting at some of the country's most iconic sights, such as the Great Wall.
Michael Bay returned to direct the fourth installment, considered a reboot because of its new cast, including young stars Nicola Peltz and Jack Reynor. Age of Extinction takes place four years after a devastating face-off between the Autobots and the Decepticons in Chicago in the last film Dark of the Moon, and introduces the Dinobots (i.e., dinosaur robots) for the first time.
Age of Extinction bested the $97.9 million earned by the last film in the series, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, in its first weekend in 2011 (the movie, opening on Tuesday took in a total $162.6 million in its first six days). Sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen grossed $108 million in its first weekend, a franchise best, although Dark of the Moon went on to become the top-grossing title in the series ($1.12 billion).
In terms of 2014 summer tentpoles, Godzilla opened to $93.2 million, while The Amazing Spider-Man 2 earned $91.6 million and X-Men: Days of Future Past, $90.8 million. Opening weekend numbers don't portend how well a film will hang on (Days of Future Past is the biggest earner to date of the three, with more than $710 million in global ticket sales).
Age of Extinction could have especially strong legs because it has virtually no competition for a month. To boot, it opens on the eve of the Fourth of July week.
No other movie dared go up against Age of Extinction and open nationwide this weekend.
Among holdovers, Disney's Maleficent and Sony's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 both crossed the $200 million threshold. Maleficent's showing is especially impressive, considering it isn't a sequel. Disney also celebrated the fact that Captain America: The Winter Soldier passed up The Lego Movie over the weekend to become the top grossing film of the year domestically with $257.2 million.
A slew of films opened at the specialty box office this weekend, including John Carney's Begin Again, starring Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine and Hailee Steinfeld. Distributed by The Weinstein Co., the film took in a solid $148,325 from five theaters in New York and Los Angeles for a location average of $29,665.
Korean film Snowpiercer, opening in 8 locations, grossed $162,127 for a location average of $20,266 for Radius-TWC.
Summer 2014 reaches the halfway mark (Wow! Time Flies)
During the long holiday weekend you can meet Tammy ("Bridesmaids" actress Melissa McCarthy) an unemployed woman who discovers her husband is having an affair and decides to go on a road trip with her alcoholic, foul-mouthed, diabetic grandmother (Susan Sarandon).
Earth to Echo is described as a "found-footage" meets "Explorers" and "E.T.". After receiving a bizarre series of encrypted messages, a group of kids embark on an adventure with an alien who needs their help.
Director Scott Derrickson brings us the supernatural thriller "Deliver Us from Evil". NY police officer Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana) investigates a series of crimes. He joins forces with an unconventional priest, schooled in the rituals of exorcism, to combat the possessions that are terrorizing their city.
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