TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON Looking to Break Fourth of July Opening Weekend Record

The third installment of director Michael Bay's Transformers film franchise starring Shia LaBeouf and Josh Duhamel is on track to gross $180 million this weekend.

The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, are back in action, taking on the evil Decepticons, who are determined to avenge their defeat in 2009’s Transformers Revenge of the Fallen. When a mysterious event from Earth’s past erupts into the present day it threatens to bring a war to Earth so big that the Transformers alone will not be able to save us.

According to recent reports, Transformers: The Dark of the Moon may break weekend records previously set by Spider-Man 2 -- $88.2 million/3-day & $115.8 million/4-day -- and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse -- $157.6 million/5-day. Though the film's opening is still behind 2009's Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the third installment has brought in $5.5 million on a Tuesday night midnight/3D screening, $37.7 million on Wednesday, $21.4 million on Thursday, $32.8 million on Friday and $34 million on Saturday. The current projection stands at a $100 million domestic take for the three day weekend as well as a $180 million take for the five day weekend.

Transformers: The Dark of the Moon, starring Shia LaBeouf, John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Patrick Dempsey, Kevin Dunn, with John Malkovich and Frances McDormand, is now playing in theaters worldwide.