Transformers: Age of Extinction is Biggest American Opening Ever in China

Transformers: Age of Extinction enjoyed a $90 million opening weekend in China -- not just the [...]

By Russ Burlingame

Transformers: Age of Extinction enjoyed a $90 million opening weekend in China -- not just the biggest opening in the franchise, but the biggest ever for an imported movie.

Deadline notes that China was the top market for Transformers: Dark Of The Moon, the third installment of the giant-robot franchise, which tallied $165.5 million there in 2011.

This latest film included added Chinese locales, Chinese star Li Bingbing (known in the U.S. for Resident Evil: Retribution) and a big publicity push that included the world premiere in Hong Kong and the closing-night screening at the Shanghai Film Festival.

Of course, it wasn't without complications; a Chinese backer attempted to pull out of the film at the last minute, taking their $1 million with them and demanding changes to the film where their building had been depicted. Fortunately, the studio and the Chinese government, who had a stake in the picture, were able to negotiate an amenable deal without any changes to the film.

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