"Transformers: Rise of the Beasts", the seventh instalment in the long-running sci-fi franchise that began in 2007, has topped Pluto TV's free domestic streaming chart despite being widely regarded as one of the most expensive misfires in the series. Its resurgence in popularity highlights how unpredictable box-office and streaming performance has become for major franchises, with some heavily marketed blockbusters underperforming while older titles find new audiences on free platforms.

The Transformers series was driven for nearly a decade by director Michael Bay, who later admitted he may have stayed with it too long. After the fifth film disappointed critically and commercially, Paramount rebooted the franchise in 2018 with "Bumblebee", directed by Travis Knight, which earned a "Certified Fresh" 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed over $480 million worldwide on roughly half the budget of Bay's films. However, rather than build on Bumblebee's leaner, more acclaimed approach, Paramount reverted to the costlier, Bay-style excess for subsequent instalments, a decision the article frames as contributing to the franchise's struggles.