Transformers 5 is undoubtedly going to make boatloads of cash- every film in the Transformers franchise has done the same, and it seems unlikely that audiences would tire of Optimus Prime's giant-robot-sized adventures at film number five if they didn't get tired after two, three or four. But Transformers 5, whenever it may premiere, could potentially be the highest-grossing film in the entire franchise, and maybe even the biggest moneymaker in several years.
A new report on last year's Transformers film, Transformers: Age of Extinction, announces that the film was the single most profitable film of 2014. It's a sizable achievement- when taking into account the film's box office gross, it's home media sales, merchandising prices, and the costs of filming, advertising and distributing the latest Tranformers movie, Age of Extinction was the clear winner.
According to Den of Geek, when all the numbers are totaled up, Transformers: Age of Extinction pulled in a whopping $250 million in profit. And while they note that studios tend to stay vague on their actual budgets (so the numbers may not be exact), Transformers is still the clear winner.
But what does that mean for Transformers 5? Clearly, four films in, Paramount knows exactly how to get the most Transformers bang for their many, many bucks. It certainly seems likely that Transformers 5 will be just as successful- if not even more successful- than the film that proceeded it.
A successful future isn't a certainty, though. Recent rumors claim that actor Peter Cullen, who provides the voice of Optimus Prime, is displeased with the franchise and the current direction it's headed. Now, Cullen's opinions clearly aren't agreed upon by the millions of people who regularly pay to see Transformers film... but if Cullen were to leave the franchise out of protest? The consequences to Transformers- and to Paramount's wallet- could be severe.
Hopefully it won't come to that, and Transformers can continue on just like it has in the past.
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