THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE Scores $5 Million Worldwide as Theaters Add More Screenings

Transformers: The Movieis having one hell of a 40th birthday. The animated classic has now passed $5 million worldwide with its anniversary theatrical re-release, and thanks to the turnout from fans, theaters are keeping Optimus Prime, Megatron, and the rest of the crew on the big screen a little longer.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, additional screenings have been added, with some theaters offering showtimes through October 7th.

When the new dates were announced, Hasbro's official Transformers account had a simple message for anyone who didn't make it out the first time: "Missed your chance the first time? Here's another."

The extension comes after a strong opening at the box office. Box Office Mojo's updated weekend chart has Transformers: The Movie finishing in seventh place, moving up from the eighth-place position reported in Sunday's early numbers.

The movie earned $1,052,609 on Thursday, September 17th, which put it second for the day. It followed that with $844,557 on Friday, $1,369,312 on Saturday, and $890,053 on Sunday.

That comes out to just over $3.1 million for the weekend from 1,454 theaters and roughly $4.16 million across its first four days. The weekend figures are still listed as estimates and could change.

Saturday was easily the strongest day, jumping 62% from Friday. Even crazier, those first four days amounted to roughly 71% of what the movie earned during its entire original theatrical run in 1986.

The original release finished with around $5.85 million at the North American box office. That leaves the anniversary release roughly $1.7 million away from matching it based on the latest posted domestic numbers. Weekday figures haven't been reported since Sunday, so it may have already closed some of that gap.

Combine the 1986 release with the 2026 run and Transformers: The Movie has now crossed $10 million at the North American box office.

Of course, inflation makes the comparison a little less dramatic. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation data, that $5.85 million from 1986 would equal roughly $17.9 million today. The original theatrical run still has a pretty substantial advantage when comparing the value of those ticket sales.

Still, what this re-release is doing 40 years later is incredibly cool. The report says the anniversary engagement has exceeded initial projections and is currently Fathom's No. 3 title of 2026, behind The Amazing Digital Circus and the theatrical re-release of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Shannah Miller, Fathom's VP of marketing, said: "We're thrilled at Fathom, but we also had high expectations," said Fathom VP of marketing Shannah Miller. "This has been an extraordinary partnership with Hasbro."

The screenings are part of Hasbro's year-long "Apology Tour," a wonderfully ridiculous acknowledgment of the emotional damage the company inflicted on a generation of kids when Optimus Prime died in the 1986 movie.

I can definitely relate. I was actually at the premiere of Transformers: The Movie back in the '80s because my uncle worked on the film. As a kid, getting to attend that premiere was awesome. Then I watched Optimus Prime die. So, yeah… awesome and traumatizing.

That's part of why I love seeing this movie finding success in theaters again four decades later. Getting to experience Transformers: The Movie on the big screen again after being there when it originally arrived was pretty awesome.

There's something especially fun about watching longtime fans return with all those memories while younger audiences get the chance to experience this wonderfully insane piece of Transformers history theatrically.

The anniversary screenings also carry extra emotional weight following the death of Peter Cullen, the legendary voice of Optimus Prime, on August 26th at the age of 85.

Fans who head to a screening should know that the presentation includes a tribute to Cullen before the movie begins. At my screening, there weren't any trailers beforehand, so get there on time. You don't want to walk in late and miss it.

You'll also want to stay through the credits. The theatrical presentation includes Optimus Prime: Awakening, a new CG short featuring Cullen's final original performance as Optimus Prime. Even if the theater lights come on during the credits, like they did at my screening, stay in your seat. Awakening plays afterward, and it's worth seeing on the big screen.

Forty years after Transformers: The Movie shocked kids by killing Optimus Prime, introduced a killer soundtrack, and became a beloved piece of Transformers history, fans are showing up for it again.

If you missed it the first time around, you've got another shot!