Transformers Dominates Box Office

The robots demolished the competition last week at the box office. But how far can their metallic legs take them?

"Transformers" opened to $152.6 million in its first week, Paramount Pictures estimated today. That was the best opening week ever for a non-sequel.

For the weekend, the film took in $67.6 million, well ahead of No. 2-ranked "Ratatouille."

Now the question is how well the sci-fi battle epic will hold up in today's high-turnover marketplace.

"The big robots are bringing in big business," said spokesman Marvin Levy from DreamWorks Studios, which co-produced the epic with parent Paramount. "We're as high as Optimus Prime," he said, referring the chief of the good-guy Autobots.

Levy said the biggest surprise was how well the film was playing to all demographics.

Grosses have been strong in heavily Latino and African American markets, and females age 25 and up have been the most enthusiastic in their exit surveys, with about 85% saying they would "definitely recommend" the movie.

Many of this summer's top-grossing movies, however, such as "Spider-Man 3" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," have done much of their domestic business early on and slowed quickly, which is one reason industry results in the U.S. so far have been disappointing.