‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ grosses $1 billion at the box office

Transformers: Age of Extinction has become the 19th film to crack the billion dollar milestone at the worldwide box office, surpassing The Dark Knight this weekend to take the 18th place on the overall chart.

The Michael Bay picture has so far grossed $241 million in North America, which is significantly less than the three preceding entries in the series. The first Transformers managed to top $300 million without even nearing a billion worldwide, while the second entry, Revenge of the Fallen, earned more than $400 million in North America alone.

However, Age of Extinction was specifically tailored to the burgeoning international audience, particularly China, where much of the movie was shot.

This has led to an astounding $763 million in “foreign” grosses (yes, that includes Australia and New Zealand), eclipsing all but Dark of the Moon’s final foreign tallies.

Age of Extinction is now within $100 million of besting Dark of the Moon‘s final $1.123 billion worldwide gross.

Paramount might have to surrender some of that cash to their promotional partners, unfortunately. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a number of Chinese businesses are unhappy with their presence – or lack of presence – in the blockbuster, one of which has taken the studio to court. Another is threatening to do the same.