Taylor Swift's new concert film has proved to be a major success in the few days since its release, significantly outstripping the opening earnings of surprise hit Sound of Freedom at the box office.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour went on wide release on Friday (after last-minute Thursday preview screenings), and has become the second-highest domestic opening ever—despite falling short of box office forecasts.
Swift's project pulled in $92.8 million at 3,855 theaters in its first three days, falling shy of the $95 million to $97 million that film release partner AMC Theatres had expected it to earn. Still, it places just behind all-time top October opening Joker, which took $96.2 million on its debut weekend back in 2019.
With the addition of the $30.7 million Swift's film has earned internationally, it currently has a worldwide tally of $123.5 million. The strong debut for the film, which will only be screened at weekends, has already placed it 23rd in the top earners of 2023 at the domestic box office.
Given Swift's hand in boosting the popularity of NFL games due to her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end (and rumored boyfriend) Travis Kelce, it perhaps comes as little surprise to many that one of the world's most famous women in the music business is enjoying record-breaking sales with her film release.
But 2023 has also seen a new and unexpected star on the movie stage in the form of Sound of Freedom, which has performed phenomenally at the box office.
Released on the Fourth of July, the intense thriller is based on the life of former Homeland Security special agent Tim Ballard (played by Jim Caviezel). It follows Ballard as he sets up Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.), an anti-child-trafficking organization. He also embarks on a mission to rescue two Honduran children sold into sex slavery in Colombia.
On its first day of release, the movie enjoyed a strong showing, beating Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny at the U.S. box office. Sound of Freedom earned $14,242,063 on its first day in theaters, while the Indiana Jones flick made $11,698,989 domestically. Sound of Freedom's subsequent opening total amounted to a $19.6 million across 2,852 theaters—quite a feat, given its status as an independent film.
Distributed by Angel Studios, Sound of Freedom is the first post-pandemic independent movie to pass the $100 million milestone domestically. Against a relatively modest budget of $14.5 million, it has already made more than $184 million at the domestic box office, placing it 10th in the top-grossing movies of 2023, per Box Office Mojo. With the addition of $54.6 million internationally, the film has pulled in a total of $238.7 million worldwide.
David A. Gross, who runs movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, previously told Newsweek that Sound of Freedom director Alejandro Monteverde and lead producer Eduardo Verástegui being natives of Mexico may have had some influence on large Hispanic audiences, as well as the setting.
"The story of a man fighting child trafficking in Latin America, and the Christian point of view, resonate with Hispanic values," Gross said of the film, which has been endorsed by prominent Republicans Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, among others.
While the performances of Sound of Freedom and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour are sure to dominate conversations regarding 2023's movie box office, neither are a match for his year's undisputed juggernaut: Barbie.
The hit comedy, which stars Margot Robbie in the titular role, opposite Ryan Gosling as Ken, was released on July 21 to much fanfare. Bringing Mattel's enduringly popular doll to life, the Greta Gerwig-directed movie earned $162 million domestically, and more than $356 million internationally, on its opening weekend.
With current earnings of $1.4 billion, Barbie is now the most successful film at the global box office this year, ahead of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which has earned a total of over $1.3 billion from North American and international receipts since its April release, per Box Office Mojo.
Christopher Nolan's three-hour biological thriller Oppenheimer—which features a star-studded cast that includes Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr.—takes third place with $942 million earned globally.
Shake It Off hitmaker Swift announced plans to release her concert film less than two months ago. The film quickly broke AMC records for advance ticket sales, raking in about $26 million during the first day tickets were on sale.
Excited fans continued buying tickets in the weeks that followed, with AMC reporting that the film had already exceeded $100 million in global advance ticket sales by early October. Demand for tickets "has been incredible from the moment [the film] was first announced," AMC said in an October 5 press release.
The film is rated PG-13 and runs for 2 hours and 48 minutes, according to AMC. Fans have been encouraged to wear any Eras Tour clothing they may own while watching the movie in theaters with Swift-inspired friendship bracelets also "strongly encouraged!"
Singing and dancing along to the film will be allowed, though the theater chain is urging fans who choose to do so to be respectful of other audience members.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
