According to reports, the concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which is being distributed by AMC, has grossed over $37 million in presales within the first 24 hours from three major theater circuits. This amount exceeds the first-day presales of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which was reported at $20 million. As of now, it is projected that the movie will earn at least $70 million during its opening weekend. Observers estimate that presales account for roughly 50% of the total box office revenue. It is typical for female-targeted films like Twilight to generate more revenue at the start of their theatrical run, and Taylor Swift fans are expected to flock to theaters to catch the film.
What makes this concert film stand out from the rest? Well, it’s all thanks to Taylor Swift, who is currently one of the most popular acts in the music industry. Her live shows are often sold out and hard to get tickets for, and this movie is being released during a brief pause in her lengthy Eras Tour. Other musicians like Harry Styles and Billie Eilish should definitely take note of her success.
The upcoming debut of The Eras Tour is expected to break records for concert movies, surpassing previous notable openings like Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, Michael Jackson’s This Is It, and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. Swift may even make an appearance at theaters or through virtual means during the opening weekend, although this is not confirmed. It’s worth noting that Swift’s schedule doesn’t conflict with the movie’s opening weekend, and she won’t be touring in North America until 2024.
The Eras Tour’s first-day presales may not have broken records like Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame, which made $50 million on its first day of ticket sales in 2019, ultimately becoming the second-highest-grossing film worldwide. However, AMC, through Variance Films booking, has distributed The Eras Tour, and the Sam Wrench-directed film broke AMC’s presale record with a whopping $26 million, surpassing Spider-Man: No Way Home’s $16.9 million in 2021. Interestingly, none of the major Hollywood studios or streaming platforms were involved in the release of The Eras Tour; it was solely distributed by AMC. It’s worth noting that Swift’s concert movie’s first-day presales surpassed Cats’ entire domestic gross of $27.1 million in 2019 and Amsterdam’s $14.9 million in 2022, where she appeared as a co-star. However, both films were box office disasters, and Swift did not shoulder the entire burden in either case.
According to Wanda Gierhart Fearing, who is the Chief Marketing and Content Officer at Cinemark, the concert film of Taylor Swift has been a huge success. She states that the exceptional pre-sales, which have taken place in theaters throughout the US, demonstrate the immense pleasure that comes from watching incredible content in a fully immersive environment with loved ones and fellow fans. The popularity of Taylor Swift’s tour, which continues to gain momentum, has resulted in an overwhelming increase in traffic on the Cinemark website and app since tickets went on sale. As a result, the company is prepared to provide Swifties with an unforgettable shared musical experience in a vast number of auditoriums.
