Transformers 3 First Day Total of $79.4 Million

Transformers: Dark of the Moon's first day haul, with Tuesday's pre-screening numbers, is an impressive total of $79.4 million. The North America box office account for $42.8M with the remaining $36.6M coming from International box office sales. By Friday the movie will be out worldwide except for China and Japan. The total is impressive but falls short of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen first day US total $62 million. On the bright side it is exceeding Transformers 2 in the International market.

It is possible that savage critic reviews have hurt sales with Rotten Tomatoes showing an average of 36%. However, that low number is more than offset by an audience rating of 90%. At this point it is just to early to know if DOTM will send any records tumbling but the International box office totals will be key to any final results.

Transformers 3 Cast Plays Nuts and Bolts

MTV has a little fun with the Shia LaBeouf, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, John Malkovich, and Patrick Dempsey as they attempt to answer the question of which three robots they would f**k, marry or kill. Rosie was given options of C3P0, Terminator and Bicentennial Man. The men had to choose from Rosie from Jetsons, Eva from Wall-E, and Number 6 from Battlestar Galactica. While Rosie seemed mostly lost, Shia had the most fun with the question while the other two made the most of a weird but amusing question.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review

I really wanted to love Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I am a fan of thinking that you have to approach movies with the right mindset to enjoy them. For an expensive summer movie action flick, you know going in that you probably have to check your brain at the door. Don't look for plot holes, don't look for characterization, and don’t try to make sense of the motivations for the bad guys. While you hope it isn’t always the case, Dark of the Moon is that type of movie. Just sit back with your popcorn and enjoy the spectacle that the movie’s director Michael Bay is a master at creating. Bay brings his best as a top action director but with it is the usual pluses and minuses where everything is in service to the visual instead of the story and characters. The problem is Transformers is capable of more than just being a visual experience.

The story by Ehren Kruger is straight forward and follows the formula from the previous films. It opens with more background on the Transformers’ civil war and how it ended up tying into the 1960s space race. It tosses in another history revision with the Chernobyl nuclear accident as a means to introduce and explain why a certain Decepticon character may not have been available for Megatron's previous two attempts at world conquest. Instead of an All Spark or Matrix, this time is a important piece of Space Bridge transporter technology. The villain, who will remain nameless for spoiler reasons, is the main focus causing all other Decepticon characters both new and old to be sidelined for most of the movie. Once again the Autobots on the verge of defeat rally behind the leadership of Optimus Prime as they attempt to stop the Decepticons from enslaving the world to rebuild their dead planet of Cybertron with the city of Chicago as the final battleground.

Chicago Call Sheet For Ultra Magnus

Thanks to Sam, below are images of a call sheet for filming in Chicago on July 27-28th, 2010 "with" Megatron and Ultra Magnus. Early this year a redacted call sheet was posted online with Magnus listed as a character. While not the same sheet this does further confirm that for at least a while the character of Sentinel Prime was going to be called Ultra Magnus. Test screening apparently drove the change from Ultra Magnus to Sentinel Prime. According to Sam, the head of what would have been Ultra Magnus was re-used as what the Apollo 11 astronauts step on and uncover as they explore the ship.

DOTM's Midnight Box Office Results

The early release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon has netted a US box office total of $13.5 million with $8 million coming from the midnight showings. This is a good total for midnight showing but falls shorts of a record. Transformers had an $8.8 million total while Revenge of the Fallen scored $16.6 million. I can't say I am surprised by the news as I remember leaving the IMAX theater for Revenge having a huge crowd for the 3AM show time while last night for Moon there was just a dozen waiting.

Dark of the Moon The Score Available On iTunes

Transformers: Dark of the Moon The Score is now available on iTunes. It doesn't seem to be available yet at retail nor on Amazon. The album of 17 tracks costs $15.99 or $1.29 for each. Considering the high cost of the album I am wondering if iTunes was granted an exclusive sale period as normally a new soundtrack album would be in the $10 to $12 range. With the release is a look at the official cover for the album.

New TF: DOTM Clip

A new clip has been posted on the Huffington Post from Transformers: Dark of the Moon in a confrontation between Epps and Sam. Thanks to Kris for the link.

Details Profile on Shia LaBeouf

Details Magazine has an interesting article with Shia LaBeouf that reviews his career as he discusses his life, mistakes, and career. Among the revelations is his getting with his co-stars from the first two Transformers films. Below is the about the only quotes related to Transformers from the article which is worth the time to read. You can find it here. Thanks to Genocide Chaos for the link.

There was that time he rolled his truck while "philandering around," as he says, with his Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen costar Isabel Lucas. "It was sort of disastrous," LaBeouf says. "Neither one of us, I think, were in love. Just sort of experimenting or whatever." Technically the accident—in which LaBeouf's car flipped three times, pinning his arm and leaving his hand mangled—was the other driver's fault. But LaBeouf admits he'd had "three or four" beers a few hours before getting behind the wheel.

Asked if he hooked up with Fox, LaBeouf nods affirmatively. "Look, you're on the set for six months, with someone who's rooting to be attracted to you, and you're rooting to be attracted to them," he explains. "I never understood the separation of work and life in that situation. But the time I spent with Megan was our own thing, and I think you can see the chemistry onscreen." When I inquire about Fox's status at the time with her longtime boyfriend, Brian Austin Green, LaBeouf replies, "I don't know, man. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. . . ."—repeating the phrase exactly 12 times with various intonations, as if trying to get it just right. Finally, he says, "It was what it was."

Transformers: DOTM Voice Cast

Now that the movie has been released, IMDB.com has now been updated with the official cast list, likely direct from Paramount. While a movie is in production, the cast list can be hit and miss in accuracy because it is community edited information. Once the movie comes out, usually the studios will provide the official info which is why IMDB has the dual reputation of being reliable and not reliable all at the same time. A notable subtraction from the list is Mark Ryan who is not listed as being the voice of Bumblebee. In the movie they completely relied on movie lines for his voice. The main additions include Reno Wilson who voiced Mudflap in ROTF and did Brains in DOTM and Shockwave who had a line in the film (and grunts) via the voice of Frank Welker. Below is the full list. Thanks to Feris Othman for verifying the cast.

Transformers: DOTM US Premiere Video

Last night was the US red carpet premiere of Transformers: Dark of the Moon at Times Square in New York City. At the time, it was posted live by Yahoo! Movies but for that missed it, below is a summary of the precedings.

Transformers 3 Chevy Rollout Commercial

If you love the cars of Transformers: Dark of the Moon you will like the video below. It is a glorified commercial for the Chevy cars used in the movie and has little to do with promoting the movie beyond using footage from it.

Transformers: DOTM Reviews Video

MichaelBay.com has posted a video that acts as a kind of "best of" the various reviews that have been posted about Transformers: Dark of the Moon. My selection of reviews (part 1 & part 2) tends to be more up the middle (aka about 5/10) but in most cases all complimented the special effects and the 3D. Thanks to Feris Othman for the heads-up.

Tyrese Talks DOTM

In an interview with i09, Tyrese Gibson discusses Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It doesn't really cover any new ground. Below are a few highlights, full article here.

A lot of people are saying that this Transformers is a lot like Black Hawk Down. Did you notice a difference as they filmed it?
Tyrese Gibson: The whole Black Hawk Down connection is probably because of the helicopters; the real presence of the helicopters that's in the film. But I don't really think it's like Black Hawk Down at all, personally. (agreed, comparison makes no sense - Tflamb)

How was this filming different Transformers 3 compared to the other two Transformers?

Transformers: Dark of the Moon Review Round-Up II

Another review round-up for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The second wave of reviews averages an up the middle review but only because those that liked it really liked it and those that didn't pretty much just hated it and didn't hold back.

Entertainment Weekly B
Dark of the Moon is hardly a fleet production, but here Bay makes his best, most flexible use yet of all the flamboyant bigness at his command: Computer-drawn characters and human actors seem to occupy the same narrative for once.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon In Theatres Today

Today is the day many have been waiting for. The first day that Transformers: Dark of the Moon is in theaters, nearly worldwide. As a way to get you excited, below are two playlists of videos. The first is all the trailers and TV spots for the film. Also have them in none playlist form here. The second is nearly 200 videos that were posted when the movie was being filmed in Chicago, LA, Florida, Washington, DC, and more. Also note that the movie does have a scene during the credits involving ex-Agent Seymour Simmons.

And before the box office results start, going to make a guess that DOTM will make $1.1 billion worldwide with 60% of that coming from international sales. Opening week? $310 million worldwide total, $165 from US through July 4th. When do you plan on seeing the movie? What is your estimate? Those closest get...well nothing except knowledge you estimate as well as those that get paid megabucks to read the tea leaves.

The Sound of Transformers: Dark of the Moon

A behind the scenes video at how the sound effects for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. It includes interviews with the members of the sound team that created what will likely be an awesome experience when the movie official comes out later today. I wish more movies did a look into sound effects, at least I find it interesting how simple every day objects are used to become something more like the engines of a starship.

An Oral History of Michael Bay

GQ.com has posted a long but very interesting article that is a combines interviews with many people that Michael Bay has worked with over the years to give you a profile on the very successful career of the world famous director on the eve of the release of Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Through quotes from friends, family and Hollywood stars and peers, it goes from childhood, to his big break with Bad Boys, and his other films to Transformers 3. The title is the article is right on the nose - "Blow-Up: An Oral History of Michael Bay, the Most Explosive Director of All Time." The people that pipe in include his mother, teachers, fellow directors like James Cameron, Ben Affleck, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Of course Michael Bay also is involved as are many of the Hollywood actors he worked with over the years including Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, and Shia LaBeouf. This is also the article that revealed why Megan Fox got fired. Below are a few quotes but really worth reading the whole article by clicking here.

New Dark of the Moon Clip

A new clip aired today when Shia LaBeouf appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and than put up on Yahoo! Movies. The clip is a confrontation between Sam and National Intelligence Director Mearing. Shia's appearance on the show can be found here where he related the story of an argument he had with Bay. Thanks to Sam for the heads-up.

"I know his name" Clip

Bay: "532 cars were destroyed"

Movies Online has posted a short but interesting interview with Michael Bay when he was in Moscow. He revealed that 532 cars were destroyed for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, all donated and how 3D tech had to be modified to match what he wanted for the movie. The full article is here.

So do new technologies make your work harder, or more difficult?
It actually, new technologies make it harder, because you keep trying to push the boundaries. Jim Cameron called me up and he asked me, he said, “So making the third one, was it easier, or, or harder?” And I knew he was asking that because of “Avatar II”. And I said, “Jim, it’s definitely harder because you keep trying to push yourself farther.”

Bay Talks 3D and Criticisms

An article from USA Today talks with Michael Bay about what he hopes Transformers: Dark of the Moon does with 3D and the strong criticism his films received. Full article here, main highlights below.

"I don't know why people like to take so many shots," Bay says at a park bench on the Paramount Pictures lot, where he had just wrapped Transformers: Dark of the Moon. "I think the media does that with anyone who has success. I make movies that audiences like, that I'd want to see. That's all. It helps take off some of the pressure."