Pop sensation Taylor Swift is set to break more records on her Eras concert tour as film of her live show brings in more than £80m in advanced ticket sales.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which captures her 52-stop concert across the US, is already another huge success for the film industry after a good summer in which Barbie and Oppenheimer brought in almost £200 million in the US.
The takings of Ms Swift’s film are expected to reach £196m during its month-long run. The tour itself is expected to be the highest grossing of all time.
But the megastar bypassed Hollywood movie distributors by cutting them out of a deal to show the film. Instead, she struck a deal directly with movie chains.
The star wanted to get her film into cinemas quickly to meet high demand from fans. But due to Hollywood’s writer and actor strikes, studios have suggested a launch as late as 2025.
The takings of Ms Swift’s film are expected to reach £196m during its month-long run. The tour itself is expected to be the highest grossing of all time
Ms Swift’s frustrated father Scott, a former stockbroker, was reported to have contacted Adam Aron (pictured) chief executive of movie chain AMC, and within weeks a deal was struck to release the film in the company’s 4,000 North American theaters to show, along with thousands more operated by competing chains
Ms Swift’s frustrated father Scott, a former stockbroker, was reported to have contacted Adam Aron, chief executive of cinema chain AMC, and within weeks a deal was struck to screen the film in the company’s 4,000 North -US theaters to show, along with thousands more operated by competing chains.
Some, like Missouri-based B&B Theaters, plan to give Friday’s premier a party atmosphere – rolling out pink carpets, installing photo booths and encouraging fans to dance during screenings.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Aron said the deal was “a monumental development for our company”. Another chain, Cinemark, says advance sales are ten times higher than for any previous ‘event screening’.
Such is the buying power of Ms Swift’s fans, called ‘Swifties’, that her film has forced other release dates to change. Keen to avoid the same rivalry of Oppenheimer and Barbie, released on the same date, producer Jason Blum brought up the premiere of Exorcist: The Believer by a week because it clashed with Eras. He sadly posted: ‘#Taylorwins.’
Movie insiders claim the singer’s decision to bypass traditional contract arrangements will challenge the dominance of Hollywood distributors – and ensure she gets a bigger share of box office purchases. Many also believe it will encourage more stars to follow suit. Beyonce has already reached a deal with AMC to showcase her Renaissance Tour.
Tim Richards, chief executive of cinema chain Vue, says concert films will ‘be a major lifeline for cinema operators’.