Despite the writers’ and actors’ strikes, it seems that a box office hit is on the way from someone better known for her work singing on stage. Taylor Swift is set to release her live concert film for her current Eras Tour on October 13th across multiple American and Canadian theaters. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter, the film is projected to have an opening record of $100 million due to swift ticket sales.
The devotion of Taylor Swift fans is something that inspires both awe and fear. Last year, the fanbase caused TicketMaster to break as the company was unable to keep up with the demands of fans. The incident resulted in the cancellation of the public sale of tickets.
This news is a relief for cinema owners amid the ongoing writers and actors strikes, which have caused several high-profile movies to delay their releases. The film’s success could even surpass the top-grossing concert film, 2011’s Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, which earned $73 million domestically.
AMC Theatres, the world’s largest exhibitor, has reportedly pulled off a distribution coup by nabbing the rights to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. Within the first 24 hours of presales, the tickets for the film hit a record-shattering $26 million, breaking the previous record of $16.9 million held by 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. AMC has teamed up with indie distributor Variance to book the film in rival cinemas.
Hollywood studios began rearranging their October calendars within hours of Swift announcing the concert film on social media. Universal and Blumhouse were the first to move up the release of The Exorcist: Believer from October 13th to October 6th to appeal to younger females. Bleecker Street also moved Meg Ryan’s romantic comedy, What Happens Later, from October 13th to November 3rd to avoid overlapping with the release of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.
All exhibitors booking Eras Tour are seeing keen interest, not just AMC. Cinemark’s chief marketing and content officer, Wanda Gierhart Fearing, said in a statement that the film’s “sensational attraction, which is now continuing across exhibition, drove frenzied traffic to our website and app the moment tickets went on sale, and we are ready for Swifties to be enchanted by this concert film in the unprecedented number of auditoriums we have booked to meet demand for the shared, musical experience.”
Sources:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/taylor-swift-eras-tour-movie-1235581725/
