Many vehemently claim that traditional cinema, as conceived in theaters, is (almost) sinking. The pandemic and the rise of streaming services have caused a significant decline in audience numbers. However, ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ has already positioned itself as the best musical film in history, besides being the second-best October debut in the United States.
Even ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ Martin Scorsese’s latest film, couldn’t compete on its release: Swift prevailed with 33 million while Scorsese stayed at 23 million. There’s simply no better time to be a fan of the singer. A few months ago, she partnered with the AMC theater chain to distribute ‘The Eras Tour,’ the film documenting her eponymous world tour.
The truth is, it couldn’t have come at a better time, at least for movie theaters. The actors’ strike and subsequent lack of premieres have made The Eras Tour screening a true balm for American theaters. Swift’s approach to cinema has even caught the attention of Christopher Nolan. During an event at the City University of New York, the director went as far as to say that studios should take note of how the artist distributed The Eras Tour. According to Nolan, it’s a demonstration of the enduring power of theatrical releases; if studios don’t want it, “someone else will.”
Swift’s success isn’t confined to America alone. ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ has managed to gross nearly 179 million dollars and is on track to become the highest-grossing concert film in history. Directed by Sam Wrench, the project didn’t even need much advertising; the united power of the Swifties has been more than enough to elevate The Eras Tour to the top.
Taylor’s remarkable performance on the cinema tour seems to have inspired other artists to follow suit. Beyoncé, another heavyweight in the music industry and an icon of an entire generation, has already announced the release of ‘Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.’ Similar to Eras, the movie will chronicle Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance World Tour.’
Can fan frenzy save cinema once again? Let’s not overstate it and say there haven’t been big box office hits (Barbie, The Shape of Water, Oppenheimer…). However, figures like Taylor have proven that projects like The Eras Tour can generate more impact than initially believed.
