Opening a week ahead of its U.S. release date — and despite the recent news that director Michael Bay was very unhappy with Paramount for not marketing the film strong enough — Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen has opened at the number one spot internationally, with $14.1 million in the U.K. and $5.8 million in Japan. According to Paramount, the sequel to 2007's Transformers defeated the original's opening in the U.K. by 71% and in Japan by 13%.
Terminator Salvation, the franchise relaunch starring Christian Bale, formerly the number one film internationally, dropped down to second place, with box-office receipts totaling $18.4 million. The third place film, The Hangover, raked in $11.7 million, while the fourth- and fifth-place films, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and The Proposal, earned $10.4 million and $10 million, respectively.
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen stars Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, John Turturro, Rainn Wilson, and Josh Duhamel.