Los Angeles, CA – Taylor Swift’s concert film, ‘The Eras Tour,’ is on track for a groundbreaking global opening, with estimates ranging from $150 million to $200 million. The film, which will be screened in more than 8,500 cinemas across roughly 100 countries, is generating immense anticipation among fans and industry experts alike.
Taylor Swift, often referred to as the ‘Swifties,’ is set to make history with her concert film. The expected earnings for the film include a range of $100 million to $125 million in North America and an additional $50 million to $75 million from international markets. AMC Theatres, the distributor responsible for bringing the superstar’s concert to the big screen, is taking a more conservative stance, estimating a global opening of $150 million, with $100 million originating from domestic box offices.
The film will premiere at 6 p.m. local time on Friday, marking an unusual departure from the typical Thursday night previews followed by a Friday morning opening. Swift’s team chose to partner directly with AMC Theatres, the world’s largest exhibitor, bypassing traditional Hollywood studios. As a result, AMC is making ‘Eras Tour’ available to other theater chains as well.
In a remarkable show of enthusiasm from fans, advance ticket sales for the concert film exceeded $100 million as of late last week, and many showings in the U.S. are already sold out for its opening weekend.
‘The Eras Tour’ is poised to achieve the highest-ever launch for a concert film, shattering records in the process. It is set to become the top-grossing concert film during its opening weekend, despite a substantial runtime of two hours and 48 minutes.
This groundbreaking performance is in line with the trend of female-powered box office hits. Young female adults, teenagers, and girls have been known to drive repeat viewings, which contributed to the success of films like ‘Barbie’ and Disney’s live-action reimaginings such as ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Sleeping Beauty.’ Similarly, franchises like ‘Twilight’ and ‘Hunger Games’ found enormous success largely thanks to their female fan base.
The current record holder for the highest-grossing concert film at the domestic box office is Justin Bieber’s ‘Never Say Never’ in 2011, with $73 million. However, ‘The Eras Tour’ is poised to break this record, as well as surpass Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ and Disney’s ‘Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour’ in its opening weekend alone.
The decision of AMC Theatres, a major theater circuit, to distribute the film raised eyebrows in the industry, as it’s unconventional for a mega-theater chain to take on the role of distributor. Producers and filmmakers typically seek experienced distributors with robust marketing capabilities. Nevertheless, ‘Eras Tour’ is no ordinary release and will only be in theaters from Thursday through Sunday during the first weekend. Currently, the plan is to run for four weekends.
The high demand for the concert film is a direct result of many fans being unable to secure tickets for the live ‘Eras Tour’ concerts, which commenced in March and concluded in the U.S. Swift is set to embark on her overseas tour leg starting in November, further stoking anticipation for her concert film.
Taylor Swift’s ‘The Eras Tour’ is poised to redefine the concert film industry and make its mark as one of the most anticipated cinematic events of the year.