A most unexpected turn of events finds seasoned movie business mogul and Marcus Corporation chief, Greg Marcus, fostering a lively environment on the silver screen. The usually subdued movie-goers have been entrusted with a participatory role—encouraged to dance, sing, or even make friendship bracelets—a curious trend that is piquing interest in Marcus’ theater chain, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Marcus is ginning up excitement for the opening of the film, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour”. The concert film amassed an eye-popping US$100 million in advance ticket sales, promising a groundbreaking debut. Swift’s fandom, affectionately known as Swifties, are gleefully awaiting this cinematic experience where they are free to express their joy and excitement unabashedly.
Despite concert films like “Stop Making Sense” by Talking Heads having graced theatres previously, “The Eras Tour” signifies the dawn of a revolution in the cinema industry. Swift and Beyoncé—with similar arrangements—are pioneering a trend that circumvents Hollywood studios, putting streamers in the waiting queue.
The theater industry’s resurgence can be largely attributed to movie studios starting to divert their attention towards streaming platforms. Couple this with strikes by actors, leading to the postponement of anticipated releases including “Dune: Part Two”, the multiplex find itself donning a new avatar—that of a large-scale stage for a host of visual media.
While Swift and Beyoncé’s unrivaled stardom would be a hard act to follow, their ventures could usher in a transformation of movie theater experiences. Marcus emphasizes that they are not merely in the movie business, but in the “getting-together-with-other-people” business, believing that more such endeavors will change audience perceptions and stimulate more talent to follow suit.
The ingenuity of Swift’s team played a major role in releasing the film, even as her world tour persists. The film allows millions of underprivileged fans worldwide to partake in the concert experience without having to splurge on high-priced tickets. Swift’s relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has contributed in creating a buzz around the movie.
The films’ revenue will be divided such that 43% goes to the theaters, with Swift and AMC sharing the remaining 57%. The film will exclusively play in theaters for a minimum of 13 weeks. Both AMC and Swift’s representatives, however, chose not to discuss the movie’s release.
Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, believes the non-traditional movie strategy will push the North American box office to over US$9 billion in 2023. This optimism stems from the abolition of antitrust restrictions on movie distribution, thereby facilitating new business models. The former antitrust chief, Makan Delrahim, advocates for more innovative models for theatrical distribution.
Boosted by this promising revolution in the movie industry, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is set to become the highest-grossing concert film ever. Moviegoers are sure in for a treat in Marcus’ theatres, what with friendship bracelet stations and an unforgettable concert-like atmosphere. And Marcus seems unperturbed by an AMC logo splashed before a film being screened in his theaters.
