Source: Brent Lang/Variety.com

“Transformers: Age of Extinction” is a bigger hit in China than it is in the United States, according to numbers released Tuesday by China Movie Media Group, a partner in the production.

So far the film has made $134.5 million in the People’s Republic in its first five days of
release compared with $121 million domestically after five days in theaters. The film

brought in $10.5 million Stateside on Monday and $10.4 million on Tuesday, so it’s
doubtful it will match those figures after Wednesday’s grosses are tallied.

Moreover, the film has now shattered the record set by a China-Hong Kong
production, “The Monkey King,” which grossed $133 million over 11 days,
and it has done it in half the time.

China Movie Media Group said “Transformers: Age of Extinction” is on track to
surpass “Avatar’s” record $217.7 million haul from the country.

It’s almost unheard of for a Hollywood film of this size and scale to surpass its Stateside
gross in a foreign country, particularly a fiercely protectionist market such as China, which
often takes steps to safeguard its local productions by giving foreign films unpalatable
release slots.

However, Paramount Pictures, the studio behind the franchise, took great pains to
incorporate Chinese elements into the film — shooting parts of the picture there, casting
Chinese star Li Bingbing in a key role and partnering with local companies to help
promote the film.

China Movie Media Group, the country’s largest distributor and film promoter, collaborated
for the first time with a U.S. studio, providing ad, online ticketing and other forms of support.

The previous “Transformers” film grossed roughly $165 million in China.