'Transformers: Age of Extinction' unearths $100M at weekend box office

This photo released by Paramount Pictures shows Stanley Tucci, left, as Joshua Joyce and Li Bingbing as Su Yueming, in "Transformers: Age of Extinction," from Paramount Pictures. (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Andrew Cooper)

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"Transformers: Age of Extinction" also earned $201.3 million from 37 international territories. “Transformers” specifically made $90 million in China.

LOS ANGELES — Transformers: Age of Extinction is ruling the box office.

The fourth installment in filmmaker Michael Bay’s morphing robots series earned $100 million in North America during its opening weekend, making it the biggest debut for a movie this year, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Paramount blockbuster outperformed Captain America: The Winter Soldier and its $95 million inauguration in April.

Age of Extinction also earned $201.3 million from 37 international territories, specifically making $90 million in China, where it was partially filmed and co-produced by partners like the state-owned China Film Group and the China Movie Channel.

“With almost half of the international total coming from China, it shows how important that marketplace is to the worldwide box office,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak. “This film has really capitalized on all fronts.”

Age of Extinction stars Mark Wahlberg and Nicola Peltz as a human father-daughter duo who aid the shape-shifting robots from the Hasbro toy franchise. Besides the addition of a new human crew, the sequel also introduces the popular Transformers characters based on the likenesses of dinosaurs.

“I think putting Mark Wahlberg front and center accomplished what we wanted to do, and that’s re-energize the franchise,” Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore said. “He appeals to audiences, both critically and as an action star.”

Age of Extinction topped the previous entry in the series, Dark of the Moon, which took in $97.9 million during its opening weekend in 2011, but failed to eclipse the $108.9 million debut of the second film, Revenge of the Fallen.

The first three Transformers films starred Shia LaBeouf as a teenager who befriends hulking alien robots Optimus Prime (voiced by Peter Cullen) and Bumblebee. The original 2007 film made $70.5 million and went on to domestically gross $319.2 million.

Age of Extinction was distantly followed at the North American box office by a trio of sophomore efforts: 22 Jump Street in second place with $15.4 million; How To Train Your Dragon 2 in third place with $13.1 million; and Think Like a Man Too in fourth place with $10.4 million.

“The ‘Transformers’ movies are known for being released around the Fourth of July, so this really ensures the film will have a strong second weekend,” said Dergarabedian. “The only movie opening ahead of next weekend in wide release is the Melissa McCarthy comedy ‘Tammy’ and that will be counterprogramming to ‘Transformers.‘ ”

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released on Monday.

1. Transformers: Age Of Extinction, $100 million ($201.3 million international).

2. 22 Jump Street, $15.4 million ($9.6 million international).

3. How To Train Your Dragon 2, $13.1 million ($17.9 million).

4. Think Like a Man Too, $10.4 million.

5. Maleficent, $8.2 million ($16 million international).

6. Jersey Boys, $7.6 million ($11 million international).

7. Edge of Tomorrow, $5.2 million ($6.9 million international).

8. The Fault in Our Stars, $4.8 million ($13 million international).

9. X-Men: Days of Future Past, $3.3 million ($6.2 million international).

10. Chef, $1.6 million.