‘Transformers One’ in Surprise Box Office Battle With ‘Beetlejuice 2’

In a surprise twist, the Bots are getting squeezed by Beetlejuice Beetlejuice at the weekend box office.

Transformers One was expected to open to at least $30 million to $35 million in North America. Now, it’s looking like $26 million, which puts the Paramount and Hasbro movie in an all-too-close race with Warner Bros.’ Beetlejuice sequel, now in is third weekend.

While Transformers One held a slight edge as of Saturday morning, all that could separate the two movies is $500,000 to $1 million.

The unwelcome news comes despite glowing reviews, awards buzz, an A CinemaScore and stellar exits, but Paramount and Hasbro always knew they were taking a risk by returning to the franchise’s roots and making a CGI-animated film with a family-friendly PG rating, versus a PG-13 live-action extravaganza targeting fanboys.

Paramount has struggled for years to relaunch the marquee film franchise based on the popular Hasbro toy line.

Directed by Pixar alum John Cooley, the movie is an origin story, chronicling how two of the most iconic Transformers, Optimus Prime and Megatron, went from best friends to archnemeses. Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry voice the two characters, with Keegan-Michael Key, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm also in the voice cast.

“Consider this a franchise revitalized,” wrote Frank Scheck in his review of the film for The Hollywood Reporter.

The challenge now for Paramount is to make sure Transformers One has long legs at the box office by winning over general audience moviegoers in addition to families. The modestly budgeted event pic, costing $75 million to produce before marketing, is also opening overseas, but numbers won’t be released until Sunday.

The weekend’s two other new releases are in far worse shape. Lionsgate’s Halle Berry pic Never Let Go looks to come in fourth place with around $4 million, while Mubi’s The Substance, starring Demi Moore, is on course to open to less than $3 million for a sixth-place finish.

Numbers will be updated Sunday.