Box office

The hulking machines of Transformers are no longer box-office behemoths in North America. But they’re still big in China.

Michael Bay’s Transformers: The Last Knight, the fifth instalment in the Hasbro series, scored a franchise-low domestic debut with an estimated $43.5 million in ticket sales over the weekend and a five-day total of $69.1 million since opening Wednesday.

All previous Transformers sequels opened with $97 million-plus.

But Paramount Pictures’ The Last Knight, the second Transformers movie to star Mark Wahlberg, still showed its might overseas.

It took in $196.2 million internationally, including an impressive $123.4 million in China.

Future business will tell whether those grosses are enough to cover a hugely expensive movie: $217 million to make, plus nearly as much to market.

Wonder Woman and Cars 3 tied for second place, both with $25.2 million. Nearly a month after opening, Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman continues to be a major draw.

In four weeks, it has surpassed $300 million domestically.

And at $652.9 million globally, it’s the highest grossing film directed by a woman, not accounting for inflation.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theatres, according to comScore.

1. Transformers: The Last Knight, $45.3 million

2. (Tie) Wonder Woman, $25.2 million. 2. (Tie) Cars 3, $25.2 million. 4. “47 Metres Down,” $7.4 million. 5. All Eyez On Me, $5.9 million. 6. The Mummy, $5.8 million. 7. Pirates of the Caribbean, $5.2 million 8. Rough Night, $4.7 million. 9. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, $4.3 million.

10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, $3 million.