After 10 days in theatres, Transformers: Age of Extinction has made $180 million at the North American box office—an impressive sum, but a significantly lower amount than what Dark of the Moon made during its first 10 days ($228 million) of release in 2011.
But it’s unlikely that Michael Bay or Paramount are all that concerned about the film’s comparatively lackluster North American showing. That’s because in China the film has grossed $221 million, making it the highest grossing film in Chinese box office history. (The previous record was held by Avatar, which grossed $204 million in China in 2009).
The film’s success in China did not come accidentally. In order to woo viewers from the world’s largest emerging movie marketplace, Paramount took a cue from Disney’s Iron Man 3 strategy and cast popular Chinese actors (Li Bingbing and Han Geng) in the film, set scenes in China, and partnered with a Chinese production company. Paramount then went a step further by offering four small cameos on a Chinese reality TV competition.
Worldwide, Transformers: Age of Extinction“s box office haul currently stands at $592 million.