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The Transformers movies have been famous for their giant robots, explosive battles, and some of the most ambitious CGI we’ve ever seen on screen! First released as comics, Michael Bay and the filmmakers after him brought Autobots and Decepticons to life with epic effects that pushed technology to its limits.

But while some entries were amazing, others had questionable choices, and we’re speaking strictly from a visual appeal perspective here. With seven movies in the franchise, it’s time to rank them from worst to best in terms of CGI.

So, these rankings aren’t about storylines or box office returns, but the hits, misses, and jaw-dropping milestones of VFX.

Will Smith's new movie Fast and Loose is back on track with a new director.The Netflix movie was due to be made by Michael Bay - who previously worked with Smith on 1995 action comedy Bad Boys and 2003 sequel Bad Boys II - but he's believed to have exited the project in October with Deadline.com reporting he left due to "creative differences".However, the outlet now reports King Ivory director John Swab will be taking over after he "blew away not only the studio execs but the star of the film as well".Fast and Loose is believed to follow the story of a man who wakes up...

Once intended to be a Bad Boys reunion, Fast And Loose saw Will Smith and Michael Bay have a falling out. Now, a new director’s been chosen.

Almost exactly one month after reports of Will Smith and Michael Bay having a bit of a fall out over the action comedy, Fast And Loose, a replacement director has been found. The filmmaker who’ll take over from Bay is one John Swab, according to Deadline.

Hailing from Oklahoma, Swab’s something of a specialist in making mid-budget action and crime thrillers. For the past nine years he’s been writing, directing and producing such films as Ida Red, starring Josh Hartnett,...

Will Smith’s in-demand action project, Fast and Loose, has found its new director. After several creator shakeups, which we’ll cover in time, King Ivory and Candy Land helmer John Swab is the latest filmmaker to board the cinematic endeavor. According to Deadline, Swab will direct the action thriller for Netflix, with Will Smith as the lead. In addition to setting its director, Smith is reuniting with his Bad Boys producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, for Fast and Loose.

Five years ago, news media outlets announced that Will Smith would be teaming up with director David Leitch for an action film called Fast and Loose. Initially developed by STXfilms with Leitch attached as a producer,...

Fast and Loose has found a new director. The upcoming Will Smith movie, which has a script by Dave Callaham, Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, and Eric Pearson, will star the Oscar winner as a man who finds himself in Tijuana with amnesia, where he must untangle the threads of his double life as a CIA agent and a crime boss.

The Netflix action movie has already had a long road to the screen. Development on Fast and Loose was previously cancelled in 2022 following the infamous televised moment where Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars.

However, once the project was resurrected, original director Michael Bay (who had previously directed Smith...

Exclusive: One of the more sought-after open directing assignments in recent memory looks to have found its director to man the ship, as Deadline is hearing John Swab has been tapped to helm the Netflix thriller Fast and Loose starring Will Smith. Sources also tell Deadline that Smith will reunite with his Bad Boys producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who is boarding the project.

Deadline first reported earlier this summer that Michael Bay had moved off the project due to creative differences instantly making the Oda high priority at Netflix. Given Smith’s busy schedule, the studio had to stick to the production schedule and took meetings with several candidates before landing on Swab, who blew away not only the studio execs but the star of the film as well.

The job is a huge get for Swab, whose star has been on the rise following his breakout film King Ivory, which...

It’s been three years since Will Smith, on the night he won his first Academy Award for his performance in “King Richard,” changed his career forever (and for the worse) by slapping Chris Rock on the Oscars stage. In the immediate aftermath, Smith was banned from the Oscars ceremony for 10 years, and he’s spent years rehabilitating his public image, including most recently going back to his rap roots as The Fresh Prince.

Hollywood appears to have forgiven him.

Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, and their company Westbrook have now signed a first-look deal with Paramount that will see Smith starring in and producing multiple features, ones the studio is labeling “global, four-quadrant theatrical movies.” Under the pact, Paramount has already announced two projects that are meant to star Smith and that the studio also hopes could be the start of new franchises. Westbrook will also get some fancy office space on the Paramount lot.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been one of the biggest movie stars in the world for over a decade now. Once earning the unofficial nickname of "franchise Viagra" for his ability to invigorate a movie series, he has starred in the biggest of big films, from "Fast & Furious" to "Moana." He became so popular that there was even talk of Johnson running for President at one point. But chasing big bucks at the box office didn't always result in the most rewarding on-screen roles or challenges. That's all about to change, though.

Speaking at the Venice Film Festival (via BBC), Johnson was on hand for the premiere of his new movie "The Smashing Machine,...

Dwayne Johnson weighed in on the pressure of taking the role of UFC legend Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie‘s The Smashing Machine, a career shift he was adamant about pursuing after years of leading blockbusters. That isn’t to say there weren’t any nerves at play, as the actor confessed to Vanity Fair that he was scared of the gig, given how different it was from his usual career trajectory.

It was very real. I had not experienced that in a very, very, very long time, where I was really scared and thinking, I don’t know if I can do this. Can I do this?

However, the...

Hulu’s week from Monday, September 1 through Sunday, September 7 brings a hefty mix of horror sequels, teen comedies, family favorites, biographical epics, and recent festival titles. Below you’ll find every movie arriving during the window, with quick, fact-focused rundowns of what each one’s about and who’s behind it.

Arrival dates are included inside each entry so you can plan what to queue and when—Monday, September 1 is the big drop, followed by Tuesday, September 2; Thursday, September 4; and Friday, September 5. Titles are listed in a fresh order for easy browsing.

‘Evil Dead Rise’ (2023) New Line Cinema

A family gathering in a Los Angeles apartment turns into a fight...

It has been a busy week on Prime Video, and the mix is delightfully all over the map. Big new releases are rubbing shoulders with comfort rewatches and franchise staples, which makes for a lineup that has something for everyone.

Below is the full rundown in countdown order from ten to one. Each entry includes the essentials you asked for, including plot points along with directors, writers, and the key cast.

10. ‘Wicked’ (2024) Universal Pictures

Jon M Chu directs this screen version of the Broadway phenomenon, adapted by Winnie Holzman with songs by Stephen Schwartz from the stage musical inspired by Gregory Maguire’s novel. Cynthia Erivo plays Elphaba and Ariana Grande plays Glinda,...

The 51% Rotten Tomatoes rated Transformers: Rise of the Beasts just muscled back into the spotlight. It currently sits at No. 3 on Netflix’s US movie charts on August 29, trailing only behind KPop Demon Hunters and The Thursday Murder Club (as per Flix Patrol).

The movie was released in 2023 and wrapped up with $441 million against a reported $200 million budget (via Screen Rant). This made it the weakest box office performer in the live-action franchise. However, with Netflix, it has found a second life and is currently drawing in more viewers.

Let’s look at how Transformers: Rise of the Beast performed at the box office (via Box Office Mojo):

Worldwide...

Bollywood remakes of Hollywood films you didn’t know about. (Photo Credit – YouTube)

Here’s a comprehensive look at 8 Bollywood remakes of Hollywood films that might surprise you, featuring a diverse range of adaptations that have left an indelible mark on Indian cinema.

1. Sarkar (2005) – Remake of The Godfather (1972) IMDb Rating: 7.6/10 Director: Ram Gopal Varma Streaming On: Prime Video

Plot: Directed by Ram Gopal Varma and starring Amitabh Bachchan in a career-defining role, Sarkar is often cited as a loose adaptation of Francis Ford Coppola’s legendary The Godfather. While not a scene-by-scene remake, the film explores themes of power, loyalty, and family dynamics within the murky world of Indian politics.

Inage Source: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

Like many films that struggled at the box office, Michael Bay’s 2022 thriller Ambulance is finding new life on streaming. The movie is gaining traction as audiences discover its fast-paced action, gritty realism, and gripping chase sequences. Viewers are also praising the strong performances from the cast.

The film may have underperformed financially in theaters, but critics responded positively. Many highlighted the tightly executed action, standout acting, and Bay’s signature visual style. For Bay, who both directed and produced the project, realism is crucial in movies made by Michael Bay.

Michael Bay Brought in Real First Responders

To enhance the film’s authenticity,...

Shia Labeouf has always been one of those actors who have always found himself in one controversy or another. From physical altercations that needed Brad Pitt’s intervention to affairs with co-stars, Labeouf’s personal life has certainly been chaotic.

It is, unfortunately, not a rare thing for Labeouf to enter into controversy, ever since the star has been in the Hollywood spotlight. Well, here is every Shia Labeouf Hollywood controversy, ranked from bizarre to simply disturbing.

8. Shia Labeouf’s Affair With Megan Fox

Back in 2007, Shia Labeouf and Megan Fox starred in a film titled Transformers, directed by Michael Bay. Although both stars found worldwide fame and acclaim for their respective roles,...

Ron Perlman has done the unthinkable. The actor's underrated sci-fi movie, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, was able to temporarily take the No. 1 spot from KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix.

According to FlixPatrol, Rise of the Beasts was the No. 1 movie on Netflix in the United States on Aug. 26 and Aug. 27, sending KPop Demon Hunters down to second place. However, as of today, KPop Demon Hunters has reclaimed the top spot and is even making a play for No. 2, with its Sing-along version currently sitting at No. 3. As for the seventh live-action/CG Transformers movie, it's now ranked No. 2 on the Netflix streaming chart.

Ron Perlman Voiced Optimus Primal in...

Strongman Eddie Hall is best known for his TV appearances and bodybuilding career, but he made his film debut in the final Michael Bay Transformers movie, The Last Knight. The media personality who won the World’s Strongest Man competition in 2017 played one of the Saxon warriors in the prologue of the action-adventure movie.

Hall is known for his athletic career, but he became a TV presenter, hosting shows like Eddie Eats America and The Strongest Man in History. He also began trying out for roles in movies and said that acting was not as easy as everyone thinks it is (via Mark Bell’s Power Project).

People think it’s easy you know…...

An original Transformers star addresses a potential franchise return under Michael Bay. The film franchise began in 2007 under the direction of Bay, with a live-action cast that included Shia Labeouf in the lead role alongside Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson, Megan Fox, Rachael Taylor, John Turturro, Jon Voight, Michael O'Neill, Kevin Dunn, Julie White, and many more.

In June 2025, it was reported that Bay, who directed the first five films before exiting the franchise in 2017, is returning for a new Transformers movie. While Bay is reportedly developing the film, it's unclear if he will actually direct it himself. At the very least, Bay will take on the role of a "hands-on producer.

Michael Bay isn't the only one in Hollywood itching to return to the Transformers franchise. Amid reports that the acclaimed director is developing a new Transformers movie, franchise star Josh Duhamel has made it known that he'd jump at the chance to work with Bay again.

Speaking with The Direct to promote his new action comedy movie, London Calling, Duhamel addressed a potential return to Paramount's Transformers franchise as former Nest commander and U.S. Army Ranger William Lennox, who was last seen in 2017's Transformers: The Last Knight, where he was a reluctant member of the Transformers Reaction Force. "I have not heard that," remarked the actor on Bay's reported Transformers return.

KPop Demon Hunters may be Netflix's most popular film of all time, but this sci-fi box office bomb that stars Michelle Yeoh currently dominates the U.S. Netflix charts. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts currently holds the top spot on Netflix's Top 10 Movies in the U.S. as of August 26, 2025, and has maintained its position to this day. This feature is the lowest-grossing film in the live-action Transformers franchise, having generated only $439 million globally. But that didn't stop this feature from finding a newfound audience on streaming.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts introduces new human leads played by Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, and Tobe Nwigwe. It also introduced the Maximals,...

After completing two full weeks of release in theaters worldwide, Apple’s F1 landed on PVOD platforms with a record-breaking box office haul to brag about. This weekend, the sports drama passed what will likely be its final global box office milestone, having defied every projection and emerged as the biggest hit of star Brad Pitt’s career. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, F1 has finally passed the $600 million mark at the worldwide box office, bringing an end to a theatrical run during which it outperformed not only Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, but went toe-to-toe with fellow Warner Bros. release Superman.

With $185 million domestically and another $417 million from overseas markets,...

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Eenie Meanie is a heist thriller film written and directed by Shawn Simmons. The 2025 film follows Edie, a prodigious getaway driver who left her life of crime behind, but she is dragged back into doing her old job to save her unreliable ex-boyfriend from a dangerous crime boss. Eenie Meanie stars Samara Weaving, Karl Glusman, Jermaine Fowler, Marshawn Lynch, Randall Park, Steve Zahn, and Andy Garcia. So, if you loved the thrilling heists, chaotic drama, and entertaining characters in Eenie Meanie, here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Baby Driver Credit – Sony Pictures

Baby Driver...

Michael Bay has made a career built upon going as explosively huge as possible. His work behind titles like the live-action Transformers franchise, the Bad Boys film series, and Armageddon has made his name synonymous with high-octane productions featuring top-tier talent. In 2001, he took his love for dramatic storytelling and pulse-pounding action sequences and tossed in a historical flair when he debuted the film Pearl Harbor. Starring Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, and Kate Beckinsale, the WWII romantic drama was one of the highest earners and most-talked-about movies of the year. And, while it may not be as historically accurate as Saving Private Ryan or Dunkirk, it has solidified itself as...

Sometimes you just want a handy guide to what everyone is pressing play on right now. This week’s lineup on Prime is a mix of new releases, franchise favorites, and comfort classics that cover action, sci fi, romance, and musical fantasy. You will see familiar names alongside fresh titles that viewers flocked to over the past few days.

Below you will find each title with a quick plot refresher and key credits where helpful. We keep things simple and informative so you can decide what to queue up next without scrolling forever.

10. ’10 Things I Hate About You’ (1999) Mad Chance

This teen comedy updates Shakespeare’s story into a high...

Prime Video viewers kept things lively this week, with a mix of new releases, franchise favorites, animated hits, and a classic teen rom com all landing in the Top 10. The lineup spans action, sci fi, fantasy, and romance, which means there is something here for every mood and movie night.

Below is a simple countdown from tenth to first. Each entry includes the essentials like what the story covers and who helped bring it to life so you can spot the titles that match your taste and queue them up with confidence.

10. ’10 Things I Hate About You’ (1999) Mad Chance

This teen romance sets Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew...

Michael Bay’s Transformers (2007) resurrects the timeless war between Autobots and Decepticons, but refracts it through the perspective of ordinary human lives. Beneath the spectacle of massive set pieces and relentless explosions lies a more intimate core: the story of an awkward teenager suddenly burdened with the fate of two worlds. The film asks a piercing question—what does it mean to be chosen for a war you can neither comprehend nor control? Should power belong to those strong enough to wield it, or to those willing to safeguard it at any cost? In the end, Sam Witwicky, presented at first as unremarkable and ordinary, makes the most extraordinary of...

David Leitch was once in talks to direct what would become Jurassic World Rebirth, but he quickly left the project. At the time, it was reported that the exit was cordial, with Leitch and the studio simply having different ideas about the direction of the project.

While speaking with THR, Leitch and Kelly McCormick, his producing partner and wife, commented on their brief dalliance with the Jurassic franchise and why it didn’t work out. “If we jump into IP or a franchise, it’s got to be the right one at the right moment for all the right reasons,” McCormick said. “And we were very seduced by the amazing franchise that Jurassic is.

Exclusive: Fathom Entertainment’s 35th anniversary rerelease of New Line’s 1990 movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cleared a good first week of $3.3 million, and exhibitors have asked, and will now receive, a second week of play of the costumed character pic.

But there’s more: Given the excitement over the first movie based on the Eastman & Laird 1980s comic book, Fathom, Saga Arts and Warner Bros are now planning to rerelease the 1991 sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in March 2026.

The original Steve Barron-directed film when released screamed to the world that, by God, there’s a mega franchise in these turtles. Paramount has since absorbed the franchise and was behind a two-pic Michael Bay-directed live-action reboot as well as the 2023 animated movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which pushed $1 billion in global retail merchandise sales for that calendar year. The first...

This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds."

In the latest episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" (titled "What Is Starfleet?"), a young civilian named Beto Ortegas (Mynor Lüken), the brother of the hotshot pilot Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia), has decided to make a documentary film about daily operations on the U.S.S. Enterprise and how the ship's Starfleet officers carry out a typical mission. Beto has an agenda, however. He doesn't want to merely vaunt Starfleet; he wants to confront it. He sees Starfleet as an aggressive military organization that's more devoted to conflict and violence than peace and diplomacy, despite its claims to the contrary.

John Turturro is, by any definition, an accomplished actor. The New York acting icon has starred in Oscar-winning films, received multiple Emmy nominations — including a win for his guest role on Monk — and, thanks to The Big Lebowski, fancies himself a formidable bowler. But it wasn't until Season 2 of Severance that he achieved something no other actor has done before: saw his head immortalized in Malaysian Black Beauty watermelon.

Severance represented another first for Turturro. While he has an impressive film résumé — from Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing and Joel and Ethan Coen classics like Lebowski, Barton Fink, and O Brother, Where Art Thou? to Michael Bay's...

Many of the Transformers figures produced by Blokees are in the super-deformed aesthetic, giving fans a cuter look at the robots in disguise. Now, the company is revisiting a 14-year-old movie with a high-flying take on Optimus Prime.

New images of the Blokees Champion Class Transformers: Dark of the Moon Optimus Prime figure recreates the character's appearance in the Michael Bay blockbuster movie. This toy comes complete with his jetpack, along with several other accessories and weapons. It's just one of the company's newest waves of more feature-laden toys, with these mostly being based on cinematic takes on the Transformers.

Optimus Prime's Most Aerial Cinematic Form Recreated in New Transformers...

John Krasinski will always be known for his role as Jim Halpert in The Office, but three years after the show went off the air, he starred in a gripping war thriller that’s returned to streaming charts in America. Krasinski stars alongside Pablo Schreiber (Den of Thieves) and Freddie Stroma (Peacemaker) in 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, the docudrama following a group of soldiers stranded in Libya who struggle to make sense of the surrounding chaos. 13 Hours is streaming on Prime Video and Amazon MGM+ in America, where the film currently sits in the top 10.

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi was not well-liked by critics upon release.

In 2016, John Krasinski and Michael Bay teamed up for 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi. Now, almost a decade later, this biographical action thriller is finding a whole new audience on streaming.

According to FlixPatrol, as of Aug. 19, 13 Hours is ranked No. 8 on MGM+'s Top 10 chart in the United States, down one spot from the day before. The war movie is based on Mitchell Zuckoff's non-fiction book 13 Hours, following six members of the Annex Security Team who fought to defend the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya after waves of attacks by militants on Sept. 11, 2012. Chuck Hogan adapted the book for the big screen, playing...

Jurassic World Rebirth Worldwide Box Office Update After 7th Weekend (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Jurassic World Rebirth is still experiencing a strong run at the overseas box office and is close to hitting the $850 million mark worldwide. The film will, however, achieve yet another remarkable feat soon. To achieve this milestone, it is on track to beat Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Keep scrolling for the deets.

The film features an ensemble cast and is one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. It is only the third Hollywood film of the year to cross $800 million worldwide. Rebirth is thriving at the box office despite mixed reviews due to a smart mix of well-timed release, wide international appeal, effective marketing, fresh casting with big names, and dinosaur-driven nostalgia.

How much has the film earned so far worldwide?

Based on Box Office Mojo‘s latest data, Jurassic World Rebirth collected $2.96 million on...

John Turturro, who played Agent Seymour Simmons in the Transformers movies, explained the real reason why he rejected returning as Carmine Falcone in The Penguin. The actor played the role to perfection in The Batman, and while the Gotham mafia honcho is killed in Matt Reeves’ movie, he appears in flashbacks in The Penguin. Turturro was replaced by Mark Strong.

The Transformers star was initially thought to have been replaced due to scheduling conflicts, with speculations made about Severance’s season 2 production coming in the way of The Penguin’s production. However, Turturro mentioned that he actually rejected the part.

No, I had done it already. I felt like I had done it already…I liked what I did. I felt really good doing Batman, and I don’t know if I wanted to be in you know, to continue and be in another series and things like that. I like to come in,...

1998 was the year of killer space rocks coming to annihilate Earth. "Deep Impact" was more brooding and invested in the complex human emotions and slow preparation for the inevitable. The filmmakers consulted several scientists in order to make it as scientifically accurate as possible. It was the complete opposite of the ass-kicking, American flag-waving "Armageddon" from director Michael Bay, who isn't exactly known for his subtlety.

Both movies are splats on Rotten Tomatoes and did not receive the best critical response. Even "Armageddon" star Ben Affleck himself trashed his own movie's preposterous plotline on the famously hilarious DVD commentary: "I asked Michael why it was easier to train oil drillers to become astronauts than it was to train astronauts to become oil drillers, and he told me to shut the f*** up," he said. The film centers on civilian oil drillers who embark on a convoluted mission to drill a...

Ben Affleck recently returned to his famous role of Christian Wolff in The Accountant 2, but long before he ever played the character in the 2016 action film, he starred in a critically panned WWII movie that’s finally coming back to streaming. Affleck stars alongside Josh Hartnett (Oppenheimer) and Kate Beckinsale (Canary Black) in Pearl Harbor, the 2001 epic telling the story of two lifelong friends and a nurse who are caught up in the horror of an infamous Sunday morning in 1941. Pearl Harbor has been absent from streaming for months now, but Hulu has announced that the film will begin streaming on September 1.

Pearl Harbor was despite by critics, who...

When your dog or cat is staring intently at seemingly nothing in the corner of your home, what if it was actually something supernatural that only they could see... and only they could protect you from? That's the intriguing (and chilling) question at the heart of Howl at the Dead, the new short film from visionary director Gregg Bishop, the filmmaker behind the unsettling SiREN, the eerily innovative The Other Side, and one of my favorite horror movies of all time, Dance of the Dead.

Following a successful run on the festival circuit, Howl at the Dead will be making its online premiere on August 26th, which is National Dog Day! Ahead of its streaming premiere, we have a look at the terrifying teaser trailer for Howl at the Dead that offers a glimpse into the supernatural short film that stars the talented canine Delilah Jane “DJ” Sassafras as Paws and Luke Speakman,...

Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Ott Update(Photo Credit –JioHotstar)

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, unlike many of its predecessors, failed to make a mark in the long-running Transformers series. The decline in popularity was a long time coming, especially with Michael Bay’s departure from the director’s chair following The Last Knight, but very few anticipated the sharp drop that came next.

The Transformers franchise, known for years of billion-dollar highs and massive popularity, suddenly experienced a lukewarm response that shook the series. With talk now circling about Michael Bay’s possible return, the film is once again being revisited to weigh what worked and what faltered.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts Streaming Release: When & Where To Watch?

The movie, directed by Steven Caple Jr., will soon be easier to revisit as it makes its way to Netflix on August 25, per Collider. Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, and Michelle Yeoh lead the cast,...

Michael Bay has produced movies like Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and The Island. However, the filmmaker may be best known for his work with the Transformers franchise, beginning with 2007’s Transformers, which he also directed.

Per FlixPatrol, two years after its release, the Bay-produced Transformers: Rise of the Beastsis finding new life on streaming. The movie, from director Steven Caple Jr. and writers Joby Harold, Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber, and Jon Hoeber, is the No. 3 title on MGM+’s Top 10. It’s just behind The Institute and Jason Statham’s A Working Man to claim the third spot on the streamer. This isn't the first time Rise of the Beasts has experienced a surge in streaming, as in July, it was in the No. 8 spot on MGM+.

Released in 2023, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts earned an impressive $442 million at the worldwide box office against its budget of about $200 million.

This week on Amazon Prime brings a mix of action, adventure, sci fi, and true story drama that kept viewers busy from start to finish. The titles below reflect what people actually pressed play on over the past seven days across new releases and reliable favorites.

Each entry includes a quick story outline along with concrete details like key cast, directors, and production notes. Use this to decide what to watch next or to learn more about the movies that dominated watchlists.

10. ‘Hidden Figures’ (2016) Fox 2000 Pictures

This fact based drama follows Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson as they support early NASA missions with orbital calculations, programming, and engineering work inside flight research centers. The plot traces how assignments move from test flights to crewed launches while showing the collaboration between analysts and astronauts.

The film is directed by Theodore Melfi and stars Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer,...

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts is known as the most controversial entry in the Transformers movie franchise. After director Michael Bay quit the series following Transformers: The Last Knight, decline seemed somewhat inevitable, but no one could quite predict just how poorly Rise of the Beasts would perform with both critics and at the box office following a sequence of hugely successful theatrical performances. However, with news recently confirming that Bay is circling a return to the project, it might be time to revisit the franchise's most controversial entry to try and find the good through the bad.

Thankfully, this is going to be made even easier this month by the world's biggest streamer, as Rise of the Beasts officially joins the ranks of Netflix on Monday, August 25. Directed by Steven Caple Jr., Rise of the Beasts stars the likes of Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Oscar-winning Michelle Yeoh, and more,...

Anyone who loves movies has suffered the agony that hits when an anticipated blockbuster fails to meet expectations. Believe us when we say, we feel your pain. While it's fair to admit that, at times, disappointment stems from our own unrealistic hype -- sky-high anticipation no film could possibly satisfy -- more often than not, the fault falls on a poorly or lazily produced product.

Blame the blockbuster formula, which often forces directors to begin filming without a finished script and hands creative control to the marketing department once the budget balloons past the danger zone. By default, any picture that costs north of $200 million has to appeal to the widest audience imaginable to recoup its cost, meaning bean counting takes precedence over creativity. A picture like "Hancock," starring Will Smith, for example, might have played well to a niche audience, but since it cost over $150 million to make, its...

AMC’s Adam Aron spoke about the real reason why much of Paramount’s output in the past few years has been so less, and it applies to the Transformers One sequel as well. AMC has been at the top of the exhibition industry and has all the data on the number of releases each studio has been handling. The CEO revealed why the big studio has been greenlighting fewer movies (via Deadline).

Transformers One was a prequel movie chronicling the origin of Optimus Prime and Megatron’s feud. It was the first animated movie since The Transformers: The Movie, but it did not perform well at the box office, leading to plans for a trilogy being abandoned. However, Aron’s statements imply that the film’s box office performance was not the reason.

Paramount has been cash-hampered in recent years, which has caused them to greenlight fewer movies than they might have liked to.

John Krasinski's 2016 action thriller is climbing the streaming charts as the wait continues for more Jack Ryan. Krasinski may have gotten his start as an actor by playing lovable goofball Jim Halpert on NBC's The Office, but he has since branched beyond comedy, asserting himself as an action star.

A major move in this regard was his casting in Prime Video's Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, a new take on the iconic character previously played by Harrison Ford, Chris Pine, and Ben Affleck. Krasinski starred in the series across four popular seasons and is now poised to reprise his role for a movie instead of a Jack Ryan season 5.

Outside the spy thriller show, Krasinski has become a notable figure in the horror genre, too, directing and starring in A Quiet Place in 2018, and directing its 2020 sequel. Krasinski is expected to return as director for the announced A Quiet Place Part 3.

More recently,...

The Fantastic Four: First Steps Worldwide Box Office(Photo Credit –Facebook)

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is now all set to overtake Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ($441.6m) at the global box office and is just a few thousand dollars behind, per Box Office Mojo. The movie’s success, though modest, comes after a long wait for new updates in both franchises.

Fans had hoped the Transformers series would take off after the tease of a crossover with G.I. Joe, but that project has yet to move forward. With ongoing changes behind the scenes at Paramount, the future of the series remains uncertain, just as Marvel’s plans for The Fantastic Four beyond next year’s Avengers: Doomsday are still under wraps.

Marvel’s Fantastic Four Underperformance

The Fantastic Four’s performance has been puzzling. The positive reviews showered by the critics and audiences alike did not help the movie much,...

Will Smith‘s daughter has come up with a cryptic Instagram story, where she is seen with tears running down both her cheeks. In the photo, Willow Smith looks away into the distance in tears. It wasn’t just her crying that took fans by surprise, but the singer appeared to have written an X-rated caption on top of her photo.

Clearly, the two didn’t go together at all as the caption read, “Who ate all the p*ssy?” We have no clue what she meant by the photo or the comment, but our best guess could be that she was taking a sarcastic jab at her haters. Not many people believed that it was an actual emotional outburst from Willow, though a few expressed their concerns about her.

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Willow has had a successful music career...

Michael Bay has established himself as a preeminent director of large-scale and high-concept action cinema, renowned for his kinetic editing, bold visual style, and use of special effects. His signature approach frequently incorporates spectacular sequences of destruction, particularly explosions, creating films that combine relentless pacing with a striking, almost operatic sense of spectacle that has captivated audiences globally.

Bay's filmography spans decades and showcases both blockbuster appeal and technical ambition. His notable works include Bad Boys (1995) and its sequel, Bad Boys II (2003), alongside The Rock (1996), Armageddon (1998), and Pearl Harbor (2001). He also directed the first five installments in the Transformers franchise, demonstrating his consistent ability to merge popular storytelling with groundbreaking visual effects.

Commercially, Bay's films have achieved extraordinary success, collectively grossing over $6.6 billion worldwide. This remarkable achievement positions him as the fifth-highest-grossing director of all time. Beyond financial metrics, his work has left an indelible mark on the action genre,...

It's been a couple of years now, but there has been no real update about the dormant Transformers franchise. The last live-action installment, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, underperformed at the box office, but ended with a hot tease: a long-awaited crossover between two Hasbro properties. After years of build-up, it finally seemed like the Transformers and G.I. Joe were going to unite. But that movie has obviously not gotten off the ground yet. In fact, with the ongoing behind-the-scenes action at Paramount, it would be wise to wait for an official announcement about the series' future. It would also make sense to wait for official word from Marvel about the future of The Fantastic Four, beyond their upcoming appearance in next year's Avengers: Doomsday. As of now, The Fantastic Four: First Steps can enjoy the achievement of having overtaken Rise of the Beasts at the global box office.

The...

Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers from “Sweet Revenge,” now streaming on YouTube.

“Sweet Revenge” might be the biggest short film of the year.

It brings back Jason Voorhees, the slasher icon at the bloody heart of the “Friday the 13th” franchise. The killer hasn’t been in an officially licensed film since 2009’s flashy Michael Bay-produced reboot. But under the leadership of Horror Inc. and Jason Universe, the hockey-masked killer is back in the just-released short film written and directed by Mike P. Nelson, who has previously helmed the well-received 2021 “Wrong Turn” remake, as well as a “Silent Night, Deadly Night” reboot set for this winter.

Nelson answered burning questions about bringing Jason back from the dead, including how the short film might transition into a feature, how he was able to creatively integrate sponsor Angry Orchard and what a new Jason actor brought to the project.

How...