Long life The new box office queen.
After selling out stadiums across the country, Taylor Swift is filling theaters with her concert film “The Eras Tour,” which grossed $95 million to $97 million over the weekend. Studios typically announce a steadier number at this point, but “without clear comparisons, Sunday box office forecasts remain within range,” the film’s official distributor AMC Theaters said in a note to press. Rivals have indicated the final tally could be closer to $94 million.
It’s still a great start for a musical that was announced just six weeks ago and has hit the big screen with minimal promotion outside of a few social media posts by Swift, who has more than 350 million followers on Instagram and X/Twitter.
During its first weekend in theaters, “The Eras Tour” became the highest-grossing concert film in domestic box office history, surpassing the $73 million gross of “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” in 2011. Based on holiday tallies Final weekend, “The Eras Tour” could set an October box office record, currently held by 2019’s “Joker” with $96 million.
“It’s a unique accomplishment because we’re talking about a tentpole-level opening that wasn’t on the planning calendar a few months ago,” says Sean Robbins, senior analyst at Box Office Pro.
Swift’s “Eras Tour,” a filmed version of her globe-spanning stadium show, was originally scheduled to open on Friday the 13th (to coincide with her lucky number). But she surprised fans by releasing the film the day before, with the film starting to air on Thursday at 6pm. “The Eras Tour” will maintain an unusual release schedule from here, making it difficult to predict the film’s box office trajectory. It is only shown in theaters on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. That’s because Swift’s team wants the film to be experienced among a large crowd of people rather than in half-empty halls during Monday’s ceremony. Its digitally loaded fees ($19.89 for adults, $13.13 for children and seniors) are expected to offset lower show times because tickets cost more than the country’s average price.
David A says: “We would assume the box office will double from here, but there’s no precedent for that,” said Gross, who runs the film consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “We are in uncharted territory.”
Fans treat the theatrical experience like another (less expensive) stop on its sold-out tour. Instead of strictly enforcing no-talking or texting rules, performers — at Swift’s suggestion — encourage the audience to sing, dance and even take videos of all the on-stage fun. Not surprisingly, “Eras Tour” earned an “A+” CinemaScore from audience members, many of whom will return for repeat viewings.
The film has taken an unconventional route to theaters because it is not being distributed by a major studio. Instead, the pop star released the film with the help of AMC Theaters, the world’s largest movie theater chain. Swift, who produced the film herself, is expected to make big money from the concert film. It takes about 57% of ticket sales, with theaters keeping the remaining revenue and AMC taking a small distribution fee. Of course, these profits are nothing compared to the billions expected to be earned from the actual tour, which is the most lucrative concert in American history. But it represents a huge win for exhibitors, who were worried about a dismal downfall for movies, especially after “Dune: Part Two” was moved to 2024.
“The Eras Tour” became such a cultural phenomenon that four Hollywood films, including “The Exorcist: Believer,” moved their premieres to avoid a concert film release of Swift. “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” “Saw
In second place, “The Exorcist: Believer” added $11 million from 3,684 venues in its second showing, down 58% from its debut. So far, the chilling sequel has grossed $44.9 million in North America and $84.9 million worldwide. Universal and Blumhouse spent $30 million to produce the film, but spent $400 million for the rights, with plans to develop at least a new trilogy.
“PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” came in third place, grossing $7 million in its third weekend of release. The animated children’s film, produced by Paramount and Nickelodeon, has grossed $49.8 million in North America and $126 million worldwide to date. The sequel surpassed its predecessor, 2021’s “PAW Patrol,” at the domestic box office ($40 million, while opening simultaneously on Paramount+), but still trailed the No. 1 film globally ($140 million).
“Saw It only cost $13 million, so it will be very profitable for its backers by the end of its theatrical run.
Disney’s 20th Century science fiction film “The Creator,” directed by Gareth Edwards and starring John David Washington, occupied the top five with revenues of $4.3 million from 2,960 locations in its third weekend in theaters. The $80 million film, about a war waged against humans and artificial intelligence, grossed just $32 million at the domestic box office and $79.1 million worldwide.
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