New York (Xeeis) — Taylor Swift’s concert film is not even out yet, but it’s already breaking box office records.
Cinemark, a theater chain with approximately 500 locations, announced that presale ticket sales for “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” are “setting domestic presale records,” with demand exceeding that of any other event film the company has ever screened by a factor of 10. Cinemark expressed astonishment at the overwhelming response in a press release.
Anticipation has been building for the 3-hour-long film, scheduled to open on Friday, October 13. An advertisement for the movie even aired during NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” last weekend, during which Swift made an appearance to support her rumored boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce.
Cinemark is not the only theater chain experiencing a surge in sales due to Swift’s film. AMC Theaters previously announced that Swift’s Eras Tour concert movie “broke records for single-day advance ticket sales revenue,” with $26 million in sales on the first day presales became available on August 31. Swift’s movie shattered the single-day record in less than three hours, prompting AMC to add additional showtimes wherever possible.
Industry estimates project that the concert film, available in both IMAX and standard versions at select theaters, is poised to earn between $100 million to $125 million in its opening weekend.
Superstar Beyoncé is also set to release a film version of her “Renaissance World Tour” for theatrical release, with ticket presales commencing on Monday for the December 1 premiere.
For theaters facing a potentially challenging autumn due to the recent resolution of the writers’ strike and the actors’ strike, this double dose of musical magic appears to be a welcomed gift. It offers a potential solution to fill seats without relying solely on the increasingly uncertain theatrical business, even with the presence of typically dependable studio blockbusters.
In addition to Swift and Beyoncé, another powerful female figure, “Barbie,” has been a box office boon. The film achieved the $1 billion global box office milestone in just three weeks of release — an accomplishment achieved by only about 50 films in history, adjusted for inflation. Since its release in July, it has grossed over $630 million at the US box office.