Why Hollywood keeps making 'Transformers' movies, in one chart

Paramount Pictures

The INSIDER Summary:

• "Transformers: The Last Knight" is in theaters June 21.
• It's the fifth movie in the franchise.
• Despite the "Transformers" movies making less domestically at theaters, they continue to kill it overseas.
• The last two movies in the franchise have each grossed over $1 billion.

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A fifth "Transformers" movie is in theaters this weekend and if you're among those who wonder how a fifth movie based on toys can possibly be made despite negative reviews for the series as a whole, there's a pretty simple answer. 

Paramount's not making these movies for domestic audiences anymore. These movies are made for international viewers. 

Just take a look at the box office grosses for the first four films:

Kirsten Acuna/INSIDER, info courtesy Box Office Mojo

But now, look at the breakdown of how much each of those four movies has made domestically versus internationally.

Kirsten Acuna/INSIDER, numbers via BoxOfficeMojo

While there's an obvious downward trend in interest in the "Transformers" franchise in the states, it continues to make more money overseas.

"Transformers: Age of Extinction," the fourth installment in the series, grossed more than $320 million in China when it debuted in 2014. Unsurprisingly, the newest film, "The Last Knight" had its world premiere in China on June 13 and celebrated the franchise's 10th anniversary there. 

Emmanuel Wong/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

Meanwhile, the US premiere of "The Last Knight" was held June 20, one day before the film's release. US reviews were embargoed until late Tuesday evening. That shouldn't come as too much of a surprise either. Critic reviews for the previous "Transformers" movies have increasingly become lower as the series continued.

Rotten Tomatoes

So far, early reviews for the new movie are fairly negative, but don't think that will stop it from being a monster hit. Forbes' Mark Hughes predicts that while it may not make as much as the last two films in the franchise, it will fare just fine overseas.

One thing's clear: Whatever you think about the Transformers' films, Paramount's not making these movies for the US anymore.

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