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The early week debut of Transformers artificially deflated its opening weekend performance somewhat, but it still managed $70.5 million over three days. What was perhaps most impressive is that after a mere 5+ days in release, the production had already grossed $150.4 million. It was a bona fide smash, already one of the biggest selling titles of the summer before it was even a full week in. That hot streak would continue as the title demonstrated better legs than actions film have shown in recent years as a rule. Bay's most ambitious work earned $319.1 million in domestic receipts, making it the third most popular of the summer but also the third most successful release of 2007. It is currently the 19th biggest movie of all time in this regard.

The success of the title translated overseas as well. Transformers earned $385.1 overseas, making it the sixth most popular release of the year in terms of foreign revenue. Overall, Transformers is the fifth largest money-making production of 2007 with a grand total of $704.2 million, the 28th best performance of all time. What makes Transformers particularly notable, however, is that the four films that surpasses it in terms of worldwide revenue are all sequels. Those titles are Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (the biggest worldwide earner with $958.4 million), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix ($937.0 million), Spider-Man 3 ($885.4 million), and Shrek the Third ($791.4 million). The closest new production to Transformers in terms of worldwide receipts was Ratatouille with $615.9 million, but even that title was marketed as a de facto sequel to prior Pixar releases.

Transformers was the only truly new movie franchise of 2007 to break out to an epic degree. It was successful in terms of domestic box office as well as abroad. It currently stands as one of the 20 biggest box office hits of all time in North America and is one of the 30 biggest worldwide hits. A series of sequels are already planned with Bay lined up to direct once again. It has also become the biggest selling HD-DVD of all time as well as the single best performing next-gen DVD for either Blu-Ray or HD-DVD. While this news is a bitter pill for Bay himself to swallow – his bilious rants about DreamWorks' new owner, Paramount, selling out to Microsoft and Toshiba have become legendary – it demonstrates that consumers believe that the special effects in Transformers are so good that they are best enjoyed through high definition television. Of course, this did not stop folks with regular DVD players from buying up as many copies as they could. Transformers currently holds a slight lead over Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End as the fastest selling DVD of the year as well as the best selling title of the fourth quarter.

Transformers, the movie adaptation stemming from a silly cartoon designed to sell Hasbro toys in the 1980s, has become one of the most financially successful titles of the decade in every capacity possible. For a new movie license to perform in such dramatic fashion is rare. It is perhaps the most impressive tentpole revenue performance since Mel Gibson's work with The Passion of the Christ in 2004. At a minimum, it's 1A to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

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