DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures' 'TRANSFORMERS' Smashes Industry and Studio Records in First Week of Release

DreamWorks Pictures/Paramount Pictures' 'TRANSFORMERS' Smashes Industry and Studio Records in First Week of Release

Paramount Hits $1 Billion Domestic Gross Mark July 9 Fastest of Any Studio

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures' co-production "TRANSFORMERS" set an industry record for a non-sequel of $155.4 million in its opening week, surpassing the previous record held by the original "Spider Man" in 2002. In addition, during its first full day of release on Tuesday, July 3, "TRANSFORMERS" grossed $27.8 million, the biggest Tuesday in industry history, surpassing the second "Pirates of the Caribbean" adventure. The following day, July 4th, the Michael Bay-directed action adventure posted another industry best for the holiday of $29 million, outstripping "Spider-Man 2" in 2004.

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For DreamWorks and Paramount, "TRANSFORMERS" three-day debut of $70.5 million was the top non-sequel and top live-action film ever. This propelled Paramount over the $1 billion mark in domestic gross in 189 days, the earliest any studio has reached that benchmark in a calendar year. The year 2007 will be Paramount's highest grossing since 1998, when it reached $1.046 billion, a figure that will be surpassed by the end of the coming weekend.

Over the past week, Paramount reclaimed its status as the #1 studio in market share, which it held earlier in the year, from April 21 to May 3. In addition, "TRANSFORMERS" was DreamWorks' fourth straight #1 opening film following "Norbit," "Blades of Glory" and "Disturbia."

Other records established by "TRANSFORMERS" include:

-- Top July 4th weekend ($70.5 million) for a non-sequel, surpassing
the studio's own "War of the Worlds" in 2005 ($64.9 million).

-- Best July opening weekend ($70.5 million) for a non-sequel, surpassing
2001's "Planet of the Apes" ($68.5 million).

-- Top daily gross in July ($29.073 million) for a non-sequel, besting
"Planet of the Apes" ($24.6 million).

-- Top Wednesday gross of all time ($29.073 million) for a non-sequel,
beating the previous record holder 2004's "The Passion of the Christ"
($26.6 million).

-- Top Thursday gross ($19.177 million) for a non-sequel, beating 1996's
"Independence Day" ($17.3 million).

-- Best live action movie debut ($70.5 million) for Paramount or
DreamWorks, with the previous personal bests being "War of the Worlds"
($64.9 million) and 2005's "The Ring 2" ($35.1 million) respectively.

DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures Present, in association with Hasbro, a di Bonaventura Pictures Production, a Tom DeSanto/Don Murphy Production of a Michael Bay Film "TRANSFORMERS" starring Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Anderson, Megan Fox, Rachael Taylor with John Turturro and Jon Voight. Directed by Michael Bay from a story by John Rogers and Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman and a screenplay by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman, the film is based on Hasbro's Transformers(TM) Action Figures. The producers are Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and Ian Bryce and the executive producers are Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, Brian Goldner and Mark Vahradian. The director of photography is Mitchell Amundsen. The production designer is Jeff Man. The film is edited by Paul Rubell, A.C.E. and Glen Scantlebury. The costume designer is Deborah L. Scott. The music is by Steve Jablonsky. The music supervisor is Dave Jordan. The special visual effects are by Industrial Light & Magic.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation

Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. The company's labels include Paramount Pictures, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, MTV Films, Nickelodeon Movies and DreamWorks Studios. PPC operations also include Paramount Digital Entertainment, Paramount Home Entertainment, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., Paramount Studios, and Worldwide Television Distribution.

About DreamWorks Pictures

DreamWorks Studios was formed in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen. The company won three consecutive Best Picture Academy Awards with "American Beauty," "Gladiator" and "A Beautiful Mind" (both co-produced with Universal.) Among the company's other successes have been such films as "Saving Private Ryan," "War of the Worlds," "Dreamgirls" (all co-produced with Paramount), and "Blades of Glory." Among its upcoming productions are "Things We Lost in the Fire," "The Kite Runner (distributed by Paramount Classics), and "Sweeney Todd" (co-produced with Warner Bros.).

Contact: Michael Vollman
Executive Vice President,
Integrated Marketing/National Publicity
Paramount Pictures
(323) 956- 6892

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Source: DreamWorks Pictures; Paramount Pictures

CONTACT: Michael Vollman, Executive Vice President, Integrated
Marketing-National Publicity of Paramount Pictures, +1-323-956-6892

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