Why Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Failed - $200M Sci-Fi Bomb Leaving Netflix (2026)

A $200 Million Sci-Fi Flop That Doomed a Blockbuster Franchise Is Departing from Netflix

Image via Paramount Pictures

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Rahul Malhotra serves as a Weekend News Writer for Collider. Enthusiastically exploring cinema, he enjoys everything from Francois Ozon to David Fincher, willing to give any film a chance.

For over two years, he's contributed to Collider, covering a wide array of topics that span from Marvel films to the Academy Awards, and even the intersections between them. His passionate writing often delves into box office dynamics, tracking the successes and failures of new releases and examining how these outcomes affect viewer perceptions. During his time at Collider, he has also championed diversity by highlighting stories from various Indian film industries, aiming to introduce audiences to an exciting new realm of cinema.

Swing and a miss > measured victory. Also, #JusticeForHan. (He/Him).

The once unstoppable Transformers franchise now finds itself in a precarious position, caught in limbo after the disappointing critical and commercial reception of Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. This film boldly hinted at a potential crossover with the struggling G.I. Joe series, which is also currently stalled. Released theatrically in 2024, Rise of the Beasts has become the lowest-grossing entry in the franchise, which originally kicked off in 2007 with Michael Bay's iconic film, Transformers. Unlike its predecessor, the better-received Bumblebee, which had a more modest budget, Rise of the Beasts was produced with a hefty budget that failed to yield the expected critical acclaim. Currently available on Netflix, it won’t be there for long as it is scheduled to exit the streaming platform soon.

With an estimated production cost of $200 million—half of what Bumblebee reportedly needed—Rise of the Beasts concluded its box office journey with a total of $440 million globally. In comparison, Bay's previous installment, the poorly received Transformers: The Last Knight, earned over $600 million worldwide on a $260 million budget. This stark contrast underscores a significant decline in the franchise's popularity, once characterized by two films surpassing the $1 billion mark at the box office. Featuring actors Anthony Ramos and Dominique Fishback, Rise of the Beasts failed to garner the same level of enthusiasm from critics as Bumblebee did a few years back. Presently, it holds a lackluster 51% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus states, "Despite offering some genuine human drama amid the action sequences and a clear affection for the main characters, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts remains one of the more forgettable entries in the franchise."

The Theatrical Landscape Has Changed Dramatically in Just Five Years

If there’s a silver lining for the restructured Paramount, it's the film's impressive 91% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, which suggests that despite its struggles, there remains a dedicated fan base eager for the Transformers saga. The audience consensus reads, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts takes the series in a fresh direction while still delivering the action fans crave." This indicates that the franchise retains some loyal supporters, even as broader audiences appear to have moved on. However, this trend isn’t isolated to the Transformers universe; a similar phenomenon is observable within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where recent films have also seen average global earnings around the $450 million mark.