Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour movie is poised to replace Barbie as one of the biggest releases of 2023.
Per Deadline, the concert film is expected to exceed $100 million in domestic earnings and an additional $50 million internationally for a global debut of $150 million. These projections are based on data from box office analytics firm EntTelligence, which states that the demand for tickets to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is surpassing the Barbie movie. Compared on a percentage basis, it even outpaces the initial demand for 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Another indication of the film's box office success is that 99 percent of presale activity for the entire weekend starting Oct. 13 is for The Eras Tour. As of Oct. 9, over 4,200 showtimes (or 32 percent of the total 13,000) for opening night were sold out. By comparison, the first night of previews for Barbie only sold out 500 showtimes. Still, Barbie's opening weekend raked in $162 million after a first day/previews earning $70.5 million.
The Eras Tour Movie's Showtime Sellouts and Content Rating
Spider-Man: No Way Home, which opened with $260.1 million following a Friday/previews total of $121.9 million, had just 18 percent of its Thursday night showtimes marked as sold out four days before its first night. The Eras Tour movie has one of every three showtimes sold out on its opening day. Notably, the concert film will not feature Thursday previews, as Swift chose to launch the movie on her favorite date, Friday the 13th, with the first screenings scheduled for 6 p.m. that evening.
While AMC is releasing the film, and Variance is handling the bookings, The Eras Tour will be screened across various cinema circuits in the United States, including smaller venues like the Greenfield Garden Cinemas in Greenfield, MA, and the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro, VT. The concert movie will be screened exclusively on weekends for four weeks, without weekday screenings. Cities with the highest ticket sales are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia.
The Eras Tour movie recently received a PG-13 rating due to "some strong language and suggestive material." The decision led to speculation about whether the concert film would be censored, as several songs on the setlist feature explicit lyrics. "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" from Red, "Betty" from Folklore, and "Champagne Problems" from Evermore include the word f-ck. Other songs from Evermore and Midnights contain the word sh-t. Generally, PG-13 films are typically allowed only one uncensored expletive to ensure they remain suitable for younger audiences.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film hits theaters on Oct. 13.
Source: Deadline