For a moment, it looked like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse might swing to the top of the box office for a second weekend, depriving the newly released Transformers: Rise of the Beasts of the #1 spot.
As first reported on SFFGazette.com, the Autobots and Maximals managed to overcome the threat posed by the web-slinger for a solid $60.5 million debut at the North American box office. That was higher than expected and an indication moviegoers weren't deterred by the blockbuster's 53% Rotten Tomatoes score.
It also handily beat Across the Spider-Verse's $55.4 million haul.
Despite that, after just 12 days in theaters, the animated sequel has passed $390 million worldwide. That's more than what Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse made during its entire 112-day run in 2018, so even with only one weekend at #1, we're sure Sony Pictures is delighted.
Going back to Transformers, and Rise of the Beasts has had a much better start than its 2018 predecessor, Bumblebee, as that movie opened with a mere $21.6 million. It's also a stronger debut than Michael Bay's The Last Knight which scored just $44.6 million the previous year.
It doesn't, however, quite live up to the opening weekends of Revenge of the Fallen ($108 million), Age of Extinction ($100 million), Dark of the Moon ($97 million) and Transformers ($70.5 million).
There's a long summer ahead, so only time will tell how Rise of the Beasts performs at the global box office. The Flash will almost certainly race to #1 this weekend, but that planned Transformers crossover (read more about it here) still stands a very good chance of happening.
"A contender for the best Spider-Man film yet and easily the greatest animated movie ever made," we said in our review of the sequel, "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is a jaw-dropping spectacle, a feast for the senses, and an instant Marvel classic."
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts are both playing in theaters.