Box Office: ‘Coyote Vs. Acme’ Nears $100M; ‘Transformers’ Re-Release Earns $3.9M Worldwide; ‘Shaun’ Stumbles

Coyote vs. Acme moved to within $1 million of the $100 million mark at the worldwide box office over the weekend, continuing its impressive theatrical run as Aardman’s latest Shaun the Sheep feature struggled in its North American debut.

In event releases, the 40th-anniversary re-release of The Transformers: The Movie reached the global top 10, bolstered by a new animated short featuring Peter Cullen’s final performance as Optimus Prime.

‘Coyote Vs. Acme’

Coyote vs. Acme grossed an estimated $10.6 million worldwide in its fourth weekend, finishing fifth on Comscore’s global chart.

Dave Green’s live-action/animation hybrid earned $4.5 million domestically, a solid 29.5% decline, and placed fifth in North America. It added another $6.1 million internationally.

CvA has now grossed $99.1 million worldwide: $54.8 million domestically and $44.3 million overseas. The film will cross the 9-figure mark on Monday, with several key markets still waiting to debut the feature in the coming weeks.

‘Shaun The Sheep’

Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom stumbled to an estimated $1.9 million from 2,183 theaters, placing 11th domestically.

That works out to just $872 per location and appears to be the weakest North American opening for a new Aardman feature released in more than 2,000 theaters. The studio’s previous low was Early Man, which debuted with $3.2 million from 2,494 locations in 2018.

Comparisons with Shaun’s previous theatrical outing is similarly unfavorable. Shaun the Sheep Movie opened with $4 million in 2015, meaning The Beast of Mossy Bottom debuted 52.8% below its predecessor despite playing in a comparable number of theaters. The first film eventually earned $19.4 million domestically and $106.2 million worldwide.

The result is weak by other stop-motion release standards, too. Laika’s Missing Link, considered a major theatrical disappointment in 2019, opened with $5.9 million. More than double Mossy Bottom‘s debut.

Directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker, the Halloween-themed feature is Shaun’s third theatrical adventure and has received strong critical reception, belying its poor box office numbers. Reviews have praised its craftsmanship, rapid-fire visual comedy and playful use of classic horror references. The film has a stellar 98% critics’ score and 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

‘Transformers’

Fathom Entertainment’s 40th-anniversary release of The Transformers: The Movie earned $3.9 million worldwide from Friday through Sunday, enough to claim ninth place on Comscore’s global chart.

The remastered 4K release contributed $3.1 million of that total domestically, finishing eighth for the weekend. Including the $1.1 million earned on Thursday’s “Transformers Day,” it has generated $4.2 million from 1,454 North American theaters.

The release added $0.8 million internationally through Sunday, bringing its four-day worldwide total to $4.9 million.