‘Asteroid City’ Soars Past ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ in Friday’s Box Office Race

In a largely underperforming box office weekend, the shining exception was director Wes Anderson’s latest venture, Asteroid City. In an era where both massive $200 million superhero flicks and moderate-budget rom-coms are struggling to turn a profit, Anderson’s distinctive filmmaking style continues to reign supreme in its unique niche, honed over the past thirty years. This weekend witnessed a large turnout from his devoted fan base, as Asteroid City broadened its reach to over 1,600 theaters nationwide.

Asteroid City raked in $3.8 million this Friday, interestingly surpassing Transformers: Rise of the Beasts in its third weekend by roughly $600,000. The movie is on track for a remarkable $8.4 million across the weekend, which will elevate its ongoing domestic total to just below $10 million by Sunday. Last weekend, the film premiered in six locations and produced exactly the results that Focus Features anticipated, ideally setting the stage for its wider release. With a near $150,000 per-theater average, Asteroid City boasted the highest average for any specialty release since La La Land in 2016, accumulating $830,000 in three days.

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Focus Features reported that Asteroid City has set the record for the best per-theater average for any movie launched in six theaters and also broke the studio’s own record for the best per-theater average. Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, released about ten years ago, still holds the record for specialty releases, with a per-theater average of $200,000 from four locations. This film also represents Anderson’s highest-grossing movie at the global box office, earning $174 million worldwide.

Image via Focus Features

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Where does Asteroid City stand in comparison to Anderson’s other films?

Other major hits from the unique director include The Royal Tenenbaums ($71 million worldwide in 2001), Moonrise Kingdom ($68 million in 2012), and Isle of Dogs ($64 million in 2018). His previous film, The French Dispatch, earned $46 million globally during the 2021 pandemic. When considering nationwide expansions, Anderson’s most profitable release was again The Grand Budapest Hotel, which earned $8.5 million from fewer than 1,000 theaters in its third weekend of release. It eventually rounded off just below $60 million domestically.

Filmed extensively in Spain, Asteroid City premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year and features one of Anderson’s most extensive ensemble casts. The sci-fi-themed comedy-drama unfolds during a 1955 Junior Stargazer convention and stars notable actors such as Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, Rupert Friend, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Jake Ryan, and Jeff Goldblum. Check out our interview with Johansson and Schwartzman here, and keep up with FilmSweep for more updates.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Asteroid City box office performance

More about Asteroid City box office performance

• Wes Anderson’s Filmography
• Box Office Results
• The Grand Budapest Hotel Box Office
• Cannes Film Festival
• Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Box Office