There probably isn’t a top director or star who doesn’t envy Taylor Swift for doing an end-run around the Hollywood studio system and teaming directly with AMC Theatres to bring her new concert movie to the big screen. That way, she could be in the driver’s seat, versus having a studio or indie distributor tell her how to market and distribute her concert film.
Taylor Swift: Eras Tour is certainly an unqualified win after opening to a record $92.8 million domestically and $123.5 million globally over the Oct. 13-15 weekend. It is already the top-grossing concert film of all time in North America, as well as ranking as the second-biggest October domestic debut, not adjusted for inflation.
But questions linger as to why Eras Tour came in behind an expected $100 million opening in North America and $150 million globally, and whether it left millions on the table as a result of its unorthodox release rollout. Some point to the unusual messaging around the movie (such as Swift and AMC encouraging fans to dance and sing while they watch the two-hour and 48-minute movie). There are also concerns that independent theater circuits were kept in the dark regarding key decisions because of AMC’s unique role as both distributor and exhibitor. One thing is fairly certain — Swift and her team were the masterminds behind every move. Another given — there’s bound to be sour grapes on the part of studios, who could have commanded a distribution fee of anywhere from 8 percent to 15 percent.
“It’s hard to balk at a $90 million opening. I think it’s great for the industry, and it’s great for AMC, but there was money left on the table by not having professionals handle it,” says one studio executive.
David Herrin, founder of movie research firm The Quorum, disagrees and says Eras Tour is an unqualified success. “Even if the film had the full marketing resources of a studio, I’m not sure the audience would have grown. It’s a finite audience, and I feel like she got them all.”
The Hollywood Reporter spoke to theater and distribution insiders to dissect some of the lessons learned from Eras Tour.
Unfair Advantage
When Swift and AMC Theatres announced the concert movie on Aug. 31, some consumers may have assumed AMC was carrying Eras Tour exclusively. In her original Instagram post revealing the news about the Eras Tour movie, Swift tagged AMC (the post has since been edited and no longer has the AMC hashtag).
This theory was borne out immediately when advance ticket sales in the U.S. crossed $37 million in the first 24 hours for AMC and fellow mega-chains Regal and Cinemark. AMC’s share was $26 million, a record.
“It was pretty clear that only the top three circuits had full knowledge and were able to have their tickets on sale from the get-go,” says a source at a top independent circuit. “And that left basically every other circuit in America having to scramble and rewrite their schedules, reset their planning for the coming months and then also have the stress of what if we put tickets on sale and the website melts down. So, it was a gift from AMC, but it was also a complicated one and one that was certainly advantageous to them.”
