Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated Eras Tour concert film raked in $126 million (£104 million) in its opening weekend, smashing a previous record set in 2011 when Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never concert film took $73 million from teeny boppers’ parents’ wallets.
Domestic US takings were reportedly around $95 million alone.
Directed by Sam Wrench, whose credits include Billie Eilish and Lizzo concerts, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour chronicles the megastar’s six-night summer stint at Califormia’s SoFi stadium, and marks a resurgence in the popularity of concert films.
Swift’s unique distribution arrangement with AMC Theatres, which she inked directly without Hollywood interference, means Swift gets to retain a higher-than-average cut of the ticket sales (though specific deal terms have not been made public).
In a homage to her 2014 album 1989, tickets for the show cost $19.89 a pop for US audiences, which is higher than the average cinema ticket.
Concert films have seen a resurgence in popularity in 2023, with beleaguered cinema chains enjoying a substantial revenue boost from major popstars’ name power.
RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ is next in line with a cinema premier coming in December.