Transformers: Age of Extinction Gets Over $40 Million on Friday, Will Likely Open Over $100 Million

Michael Bay's low-rated Transformers: Age of Extinction is poised not only to take the top spot at the weekend box office, but to become the biggest opening weekend of 2014.

The film, which has an A- CinemaScore from moviegoers but just an 18% score on Rotten Tomatoes (for context, Green Lantern scored a 26%), looks to make over $103 million this weekend after a $41 million Friday. That will make it the year's first $100 million opening, beating out the $95 million for Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Of course, it's likely that The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One will ultimately overtake it. The previous installments in that franchise opened at $153 million and $158 million.

Earlier in the week, 2014's overall box office had dropped below 2013's (for the same period) in spite of early success from films like The LEGO Movie.

It's not yet clear whether Michael Bay will return for the franchise's planned fifth and sixth films (Age of Extinction has been identified as the first chapter of a new trilogy with Mark Wahlberg, rather than Shia LaBoeuf, at the center of the films). Bay had previously said he would remain on board as a producer and weigh in on creative choices but that his intention was to abandon the director's chair. As the release date for the film grew closer, though, he seems less committed to that idea and has suggested he may return for at least one more go-'round.

Earlier in the week, Paramount Pictures confirmed that the fifth installment in the blockbuster franchise will debut in 2016.