The Transformers franchise under Michael Bay produced some of the highest-grossing movies of all time, and while the film series has had some difficulty figuring itself out since Bay left, fans are certainly looking forward to this summer’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. And the most serious fans are in luck because Paramount Pictures will be giving those people the chance to check the movie out a little bit early.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts opens in theaters on June 9 but tickets are on sale now for special screenings on June 7 in select theaters. Not only will fans be able to see the movie early, but some of the screenings will be in premium formats like IMAX, so fans will be able to see it on the biggest available screens. Fan screenings will also include special bonus content and will get limited edition collectibles.
On the one hand, doing an early screening for the public is possibly a good sign. Social media will likely light up with Transformers hashtags after the movie as those in attendance say what they think, and those early responses from fans could possibly sway audiences that are on the fence about going opening weekend. This fact might indicate Paramount thinks those early responses will all be good news.
At the same time, anybody interested in going to a special fan event for are probably part of an audience predisposed to like what they see. If somebody saw the trailer for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and immediately thought this was the movie for them, they're likely already looking for exactly what this film will almost certainly provide. so there’s a good chance that the audience response from that night will be quite good no matter how anybody else might feel.
Michael Bay’s Transformers movies were some of those movies that were seen as “review proof.” Critics almost universally panned the films, but that never stopped or even seem to slow the box office take. The Transformers franchise has made billions of dollars since the first film.
Having said that, the last Transformers movie was the exact opposite. Bumblebee was embraced by critics much more than the previous entries, and while its box office take wasn’t terrible, it was significantly less than what the franchise had been doing previously.
Based on everything we know about Transformers: Rise of the Beasts follows the events of Bumblebee, but many years later, so the two movies are not directly connected. In a new video that introduces the characters played by the live-action and voice cast of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, director Steven Caple Jr. and the cast talk about who everybody is and just how they’ll fit together in the new story.
It's been five years since the last Transformers movie and that's quite a long time in the life of a franchise these days. Just how Transformers: Rise of the Beasts will do in theaters will be a big question. How quickly these fan screenings fill up may be a big part of the answer.
