'Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party Of A Showgirl'

Source: Piece Of Magic Entertainment

‘Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party Of A Showgirl’

The world’s biggest pop star has done it again as the one-weekend-only theatrical release of Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party Of A Showgirl blew away the competition to open top in North America on an estimated $33m.

What makes the number all the more remarkable is two weeks ago nobody had even heard of the film until AMC Theatres Distribution announced the limited engagement, partnering with Variance Films to release in 3,702 cinemas including non-AMC sites. It is unprecedented for any film to storm to the top of the charts with two weeks of marketing, demonstrating once again the potent Swifties fanbase behind a generational talent.

The film earned an A+ CinemaScore and chronicles the recording of the album – during Swift’s record-breaking Eras world tour – and coincided with the release of said album, The Life Of A Showgirl. According to Billboard the album sold 2.7m units in traditional album sales – physical and digital – on its October 3 US release date. That resulted in Swift’s biggest week ever in the music charts and the second-best sales week of the modern era since Luminate began to track release data in 1991. Adele’s 25 in 2015 remains the leader on 3.4m units.

AMC is calling this the only album-debut cinematic event to open number one in North America. Of additional significance is that Taylor Swift: The official Release Party Of A Showgirl began screening later than usual, on Friday at 3pm ET/12noon PT. Combined with $13m from 54 international territories, the global tally stands at $46m. Screen will report international box office in more detail on Monday. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour opened via AMC in 2023 and amassed a spectacular $180m in North America and $262m worldwide.

Warner Bros’ Oscar contender One Battle After Another placed second on $11.1m from 3,634 sites following a 49% drop. Paul Thomas Anderson’s action adventure starring Leonardo DiCaprio stands at $42.8m after two weekends and crossed $100m at the international box office. At a reported $130m budget not including marketing, the two-and-a-half-hour feature is not close to breaking even theatrically yet, although the distributor plans to keep it in cinemas as the awards season progresses and word of mouth on the strongly-reviewed film spreads.

The Smashing Machine

Dwayne Johnson’s bid for Oscar glory with A24’s The Smashing Machine has earned the star plaudits and the new feature that premiered in Venice arrived in third place on an estimated $6m from 3,345 locations. For the record that is Johnson’s lowest opening weekend, although in fairness the story of UFC fighter Mark Kerr is not Johnson’s typical blockbuster playground.

R-rated The Smashing Machine was tracking to open on at least double what it did and the B- CinemaScore did not help in the days running up to release, nor did the fact that the Taylor Swift feature gobbled up available PLF screens.

Rounding out the top five were Universal/DreamWorks Animation’s G-rated live-action/animation Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie in fourth place after a $5.2m weekend from 3,507 boosted the tally after two weekends to $21.6m; and Warner Bros’ The Conjuring: Last Rites ranks fifth after $4.1m elevated the running total to $167.8m after five sessions. It ranks as the highest-grossing entry in the 12-year franchise by some way.

Disney’s re-release of 20th Century Studios’ re-release of James Cameron’s 2022 smash Avatar: The Way Of Water arrived in seventh place on $3.2m from 2,140 sites ahead of the December 19 release of Avatar: Fire & Ash. The Way Of Water earned $685m in North America by the end of its initial run and ranks as the seventh-highest film of all time. The $2.3bn global haul places third in the all-time worldwide pantheon, behind Avengers: Endgame in second and the first Avatar in first place on $2.9bn.

Good Boy

Opening in ninth was Ben Leonberg’s supernatural thriller Good Boy through Independent Film Company and Shudder on a strong $2.3m from 1,650 locations. This was IFC Entertainment Group’s third-best opening behind RLJE’s Clown In A Cornfield on $3.6m in May this year, and Independent Film Company’s 2023 SXSW premiere Late Night With The Devil on $2.8m. Good Boy is told from the perspective of that senses a malign presence in a new home. Altitude has sold out the film internationally.

Number 10 was occupied by new arrival Kantara A Legend: Chapter 1 through Prathyangira Cinemas on $1.7m. Rishab Shetty’s action thriller is the sequel to his 2022 feature about a young tribal member seeking revenge.

Per Comscore, overall three-day box office reached an estimated $82.3m. The $6.7bn year-to-date is tracking 4% ahead of 2024 by the same stage.

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