With strikes causing titles to fall off marquees, Taylor Swift steps in to save the day. Her record-breaking concert, the Eras Tour, will be screened in AMC, Regal, and Cinemark theaters this fall. Directed by Sam Wrench, the film is also set to be released independently by AMC—a distribution first for the theater chain. The Eras Tour movie will not only be shown in the United States, but also in Cineplex theaters in Canada and Cineopolis in Mexico. It is reported that AMC worked closely with Taylor Swift’s team to make this event possible.
A Stratospheric Success
Just as Barbie has dominated the box office, the Eras Tour has taken the concert industry by storm this summer. Anticipated to gross a staggering $1.4 billion worldwide, tickets for the tour sold out within hours on Ticketmaster. StubHub even reported that the Eras Tour had the highest ticket sales ever for a concert. With a runtime of 3 hours and 15 minutes, the Eras Tour show is Taylor Swift’s lengthiest concert to date, featuring 44 songs divided into ten acts.
The concert film will be shown on multiple dates, including October 13-15, October 19-22, October 26-29, Tuesday, October 31, and November 2-5. Tickets are attractively priced at $19.89 and $13.13, a steal compared to the initial batch of concert tickets which ranged from $49 to $449, with VIP packages reaching up to $899. Audiences at AMC theaters will be treated to a premium experience in Dolby auditoriums.
In preparation for this highly anticipated event, AMC has upgraded its website and ticketing systems to handle unprecedented levels of traffic. Recognizing the overwhelming demand from Taylor Swift fans during ticket sales, AMC acknowledges that no previous ticketing system has been able to accommodate such high volumes. This positive development is a welcome relief for the No. 1 and No. 3 theater circuits, as they were facing a lackluster fall lineup with the absence of Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter,” the second part of Legendary/Warner Bros.’ “Dune,” and the Zendaya romance film “Challengers.” The Eras Tour alone sold a record-breaking 2.4 million tickets on its first U.S. presale day, surpassing Robbie Williams’ previous record of 1.6 million tickets for his Close Encounters Tour in 2005. Billboard estimates that by mid-December, the Eras Tour had already raked in a staggering $554 million and was projected to reach $591 million at the end of its U.S. leg, surpassing Madonna’s previous female record of $407 million for her Sticky & Sweet Tour.
As Swifties flock from venues like the SoFi Stadium to AMC theaters, there is hope that their spending will stimulate the economy. With the Eras Tour’s massive popularity and financial success, Bloomberg estimated that each Swift concert on this tour has grossed at least $13 million per U.S. city. This economic boon may extend beyond the theaters, benefiting local businesses and communities.
However, with this being a unique event for AMC, the theater chain has decided not to offer free passes to anyone, including their AMC Stubs A-list members. These members will not be able to use their memberships to reserve tickets. “For our IT systems to be able to accommodate the anticipated huge initial demand, AMC will temporarily be restricting the usage of AMC Stubs rewards toward online ticket purchases.” This decision may temporarily limit the availability of tickets for other movie titles on AMC’s website—a minor pothole in the grand scheme of Taylor Swift’s box office domination.
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is not only breaking concert records but also crossing over into the box office realm, offering fans a unique opportunity to experience the magic on the big screen. With its unprecedented success, the tour has revitalized the theater industry, created economic opportunities, and left a lasting impact on both fans and the entertainment landscape. This new era signifies Taylor Swift’s continued domination and innovation in the music and film industries.