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Last month, Makenzie Rau-Lehmann called her local movie theater in Duluth, Minnesota, with an unusual but important question: Were there any restrictions on singing and dancing there?
Normally that wouldn’t be a problem — except in this case, she had bought tickets for two consecutive nights to see “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” the film about the record-breaking tour that was filmed during several sold-out concerts at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, in August. Swift said in an Instagram post announcing the film, “Singing and dancing are encouraged.” But Rau-Lehmann, 23, didn’t want to break the rules, and there’s already nervous talk among Swift’s fan base about whether Blocking the view of people getting up to dance.
“They said because of the nature of the film they couldn’t really put any restrictions on it, but with dancing they just didn’t know how much space there would be technically,” Rau-Lehmann said after speaking with a theater employee who assured her that Singing along would be completely fine. Theater chains like AMC and Cinemark, which have been bombarded with similar questions, have since released guidelines on, among other things, whether you can bring glitter into the theater. (“Please refrain,” says Cinemark.)
These are just a few of the things Swifties are thinking about as they count down the hours until the film’s release on October 13th. This isn’t your average concert film, simply because it’s about Swift, who has become even more of a seismic cultural force in the past year: her tour is She is on track to become the first to generate $1 billion in ticket sales. Each time she travels to a new city, she has injected millions of dollars into the local economy. She and her fans caused a stir that amounted to a minor She suffered an earthquake from the concert noise and performed three-and-a-half hour concerts that were so emotionally intense that fans reported suffering from amnesia afterward.
Now Swift’s empire has come to the film industry. As the US box office faced a post-summer downturn and Hollywood strikes paused the fall release calendar, Swift announced an unusual direct distribution deal with AMC Theaters. Movie “The Eras Tour”. quickly broke the company’s record for first-day ticket advance sales ($26 million). And with worldwide advance sales of more than $100 million, it is already one of the most successful concert films in box office history, according to AMC.
The reason? The fans. Rau-Lehmann remembers the show she saw at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis in June, but like countless other Swifties, she’s thrilled to be able to experience it all again: “There’s so much going on that you can’t possibly do it all can take with you.” in just one time.”
The spectacle of an Eras tour show is indeed overwhelming, with Swift performing songs from nearly all of her 10 studio albums over the course of her 17-year career. Swift is extremely detail-oriented, to say the least, and TikTok and Instagram are full of concert footage that has fans searching for things they may have missed: the visuals of glass shattering on stage as Swift performs “Delicate.” The many elaborate backup dancer costumes during “Look What You Made Me Do” step onto the stage. Swift has taught her fans to look for clues in her work that might have greater meaning, a task that fans also take seriously for the film.
“I used to get looked down upon for being a Taylor Swift fan… and now in 2023, it’s literally bringing people together and contributing to the economy,” said Beck Ducharme, 23, who suspects the ridicule stemmed from that is that the likeability for Swift she said was “super girly.” But this summer, with the Eras Tour, Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour and the “Barbie” movie, she said, “It’s nice that women can be passionate about things they like without being ridiculed.”
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Ducharme racked up millions of views on her TikToks, where she offered costume ideas for duos, trios and groups to wear to the film. (She and her boyfriend, who live in Texas, (Plan to wear costumes inspired by the “You Belong With Me” music video.) Outfits have become a crucial element of the Eras Tour experience—and viral TikTok fodder—regardless of whether you choose one in particular Dress era or a specific song. However, fans who wore glitter, high heels and elaborate costumes plan to tone down the film for the cool and dark theater where the running time is nearly three hours.
“I’m not going to rely on fishnets and glitter,” said Shannon Hyde, 40, who attended one of the Los Angeles shows filmed for the film and wonders whether she will appear in one of the mass reaction photos. (“I’m sure I’m going to have an ugly cry or something, but that’s okay.”) However, this time she’s leaving the “Lover”-era sequins at home and opting for a Swift cardigan or sweatshirt. “I’m going to take my cue from Taylor, but in a much more comfortable way.”
The film also makes the show more accessible to fans who were unable to attend the concerts and were unable to purchase or afford tickets during the now infamous Ticketmaster meltdown last fall. They wistfully watched livestreams on TikTok and watched concertgoers exchange friendship bracelets, a Swift concert tradition, and are thrilled to be part of Eras tour history with the film.
A revival for cinema and concert films
Swift’s innovative deal isn’t just a win for fans. Industry experts also see it as a victory for AMC Theaters’ distribution and the fall box office season, which otherwise experienced a commercial hangover after the highs of a “Barbenheimer” summer.
“This is a big moment, not just for AMC, but for theater in general,” said Jeff Bock, a box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations.
“This is unprecedented in terms of the excitement of this concert film,” Bock added, noting, “We haven’t seen something like this maybe since the Beatles movies” in the ’60s.
AMC and its subdistribution partners have reportedly signed deals to show “Eras” in more than 8,500 theaters in approximately 100 countries.
In addition to the film’s $100 million in pre-sales worldwide, Bock predicts the film should gross more than $100 million in its domestic debut when walk-up sales are taken into account.
He said even the uniqueness of the ticket prices adds to the hype: Tickets for adults are $19.89 before taxes — a nod to the Swift album title and her year of birth — and $13.13 for children. (Swift considers 13 her lucky number.)
AMC said in a statement last week that audience demand for the film “was incredible from the moment it was first announced,” with many fans buying tickets to see the film in large screen format. (AMC declined a request for comment.)
The largest concert film release in North America to date is 2011’s “Justin Bieber: Never Say Never,” which grossed about $73 million domestically, adjusted for inflation. (It grossed $99 million worldwide.) Worldwide, the record holder remains “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” from 2009, which grossed more than $260 million – a mark not unattainable for the Swift film .
Following the Swift film, Beyoncé’s concert film from her Renaissance world tour will hit theaters in December – another cross-industry distribution deal with AMC without the studio’s involvement.
Choreographer and director Vincent Paterson, whose many credits include tours and film projects with Jackson and Madonna, sees this moment as a revival of the concert film, due in part to the high prices of mega-tours of cultural events like those of Swift and Beyoncé.
“So many people can’t really afford to go to concerts anymore, so I think it’s fantastic that this is happening,” Paterson said. “So many people who appreciate artists like Swift and Beyoncé can at least afford a movie ticket.”
Even some fans who have attended these tours couldn’t afford to sit close, he said: “You sit so far back that you’re basically looking at jumbotrons because the artists on stage are so small.” I think one of the joys of seeing a concert film is that you’re sitting right in the front row, and I think that makes a big difference for a lot of people.”
AMC, the largest movie chain in North America with nearly 8,000 screens last year, got the “golden ticket” when Team Swift decided to bypass Hollywood studios and work directly with theater chains as distributors and sub-distributors, Bock said.
Swift’s deal has disrupted traditional studio distribution, the entertainment analyst said, and could prove to be a game changer for theater chains that have faced significant challenges adapting to changing consumer trends in the age of streaming, particularly since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The balance of power has been favorable for the studios for some time, but not so favorable for the theaters in general,” Bock said.
Swift’s deal was also announced as studios and streamers were at odds with Hollywood writers and actors. Although the Writers Guild of America strike has been resolved, most Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists performers continue to strike and are unable to promote their striking works, creating another commercial void for Swift’s film and possibly Beyoncé’s film as well creates.
Even other planned fall releases were interrupted by the “Eras” film.
Jason Blum has delayed the release of The Exorcist: Believer from October 13th to October 6th (thus depriving some fans of an Exorswift). double function). On August 31st the Blumhouse founder tweeted: “Look what you made me do.”
“They made a horror movie on a Friday the 13th,” Bock said. “This is the power of Taylor Swift.”
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