'Transformers' breaks down at box office with $69-million debut

"Transformers: The Last Knight," the fifth installment in the blockbuster franchise from Michael Bay, may have topped the weekend, but all the robot-smashing has gotten a bit rusty at the box office. The Paramount film, which opened Wednesday, took in $45 million in the North American box office over the weekend, placing it in the No. 1 spot ahead of returning titles, "Cars 3" and "Wonder Woman." That's just slightly below expectations and well behind its predecessor, "Transformers: Age of Extinction," which opened with $100 million over three days in 2014 -- making "The Last Knight" the first film in the franchise not to open to $100 million or more. The Gal Gadot-starring "Wonder Woman," meanwhile, made another $25 million over the weekend, pushing the film well past the $300-million mark. Disney/Pixar's "Cars 3" also took in $25 million, helping it inch closer to the $100-million mark.