Deadline’s most valuable blockbuster tournament is back. While studios enthusiastically embraced the day-and-date model of cinema during the Corona crisis when theaters were closed, they soon realized that there is nothing more profitable than a theatrical release and the downstreams that come with it. If anything, cinema is the advertisement of a film’s longevity in later home entertainment windows. In 2023, streamers like Apple joined the discussion, who also recognized the need for theater to eventize their films. The financial data compiled here for Deadline’s most valuable blockbuster tournament is selected from experienced and trustworthy sources.
THE FILM
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour
AMC Entertainment
With AMC and every other multiplex in the world closed due to coronavirus and the actors’ strike slowing box office, one could say that the No. 1 exhibitor took its fate into its own hands Taylor Swift: The Tour of the Era. However, it is thanks to Scott Swift, Taylor Swift’s father. He reportedly called AMC CEO Adam Aron to bypass the studios and make more money by taking his daughter’s film straight to AMC from her $1 billion-selling, sold-out concert tour. Why would a studio get away with a ton of money and invest tens of millions in marketing when Swift, with nearly 400 million social media followers at the time, is the best form of advertising? She tweeted a few times to promote the film and showed up at her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs games to collect her $15 million Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Concert film as a must-see program. The film also received a SAG-AFTRA waiver, allowing the pop star to perform and promote at her own world premiere in Los Angeles. The result: global ticket sales worth $100 million. To avoid antitrust issues, AMC hired Gotham-based distributor Variance Films to book theaters across the country and Trafalgar to handle the release overseas. Much to the chagrin of the studios who voiced their opinions on Aron’s entry into the distribution business, they all began pulling their films away (e.g. Universal’s). The Exorcist Reboot, Lionsgate’s Ordinary angels) out of Epoch tour and its arrival on the calendar is October 13th. Swift has cleverly tailored her marketing to fans, releasing the film on a date that matches her lucky number, with a ticket price of $13.13 for children and seniors. At first she didn’t want to see the film in the preview, but wanted it on October 13th. start in full length. At the last minute, the week after the release, Swift changed her mind and opted for the last-minute Thursday previews (which only grossed $2.8 million).
THE BOX SCORE
THE CONCLUSION
The predictions were wild Epoch tour since most Swifties don’t necessarily go to the cinema. But with $123 million worldwide and $93.2 million, the film represented the largest theatrical opening ever for a concert film, and at the domestic box office, it was the second-largest opening in October afterward The joker ($96.2 million). AMC definitely reaped the spoils as most moviegoers thought it was the only place to see Epoch tour was at an AMC theater; In the Sam Wrench-directed title’s opening weekend, the circuit took in 41% of gross sales (typically the chain averages 22-25% of a tentpole’s opening weekend). Still, in between Epoch tour And Five nights at Freddy’s, During a dry spell with the ongoing actors’ strike, there was a lot of money at the box office. The terms of the AMC contracts reportedly amounted to 43% of gross revenue remaining with theaters and 57% shared between the Swifts and AMC as distributors, with Variance and Trafalgar receiving a distribution fee. Worldwide marketing is estimated at $55 million. The Swifts sold the film to Disney+ for a reported $75 million, ignoring offers from Netflix and Universal, as shown above; The concert image was the most viewed image in the genre on the service ever, with 4.6 million views (the digital release occurred on Swift’s birthday, December 13th). In each launch window, Swift gave fans more and more with the digital release through Universal, including three bonus songs not featured in the theatrical cut (“Wildest Dreams,” “The Archer” and “Long Live”) while the Disney+ version counted five new songs. The success of the concert films led to AMC landing Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, This singer’s concert film; It was released on the first weekend of December and grossed just $45 million worldwide. No problem, but Beyoncé was never expected to have the same impact as Swift. Wall Street sources scoffed that AMC wasn’t making just 4% of box office revenue from its concert films, although Aron balked at that figure. He told Deadline at CinemaCon: “We view the concert films as the sum of our distribution and exhibition profits combined; They’ve been extremely profitable.” It’s definitely a new side hustle for AMC, as the world’s leading theater chain recently tapped Fandango veteran Stephanie Terifay as VP Distribution to engage the music industry. Aron also told us: “We are talking to other world-class companies [performing] Artists about more concert films.”