LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Director Michael Bay's effects-filled movie "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" trounced all rivals in its global debut, ringing up $372 million at box offices around the world since last week's opening, according to studio estimates on Sunday.
Paramount Pictures, which released the third installment in the blockbuster films about a battle for Earth being waged by shape-shifting beings from another world, estimates U.S. and Canadian ticket sales of $97.4 million in the three days ending on Sunday, and it expects that figure to reach $116 million for the four-days ending on Monday's U.S. Independence Day holiday.
By the holiday's end, "Transformers" will have taken in $181 million in domestic theaters since its debut on Wednesday last week, which is ahead of pre-weekend estimates, said Paramount, a unit of Viacom Inc.
