Taylor Swift’s Tour Outshines Scorsese’s Movie Debut in Box Office Showdown

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In an intriguing cinematic clash as unlikely as pitting “Barbie” against “Oppenheimer,” the legendary directorial prowess of Martin Scorsese unravelled on screen, going toe-to-toe with the pop music spectacle of Taylor Swift. The weekend box office was once again dominated by Swift’s “The Eras Tour”, yet Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” made a sturdy debut, marking Apple Studios’ first foray into substantial theatrical ventures.

Following a staggering first-weekend collection of $92.8 million, Taylor Swift’s concert film raked in an estimated $31 million during its second weekend of release from 3,855 venues, in information sourced from AMC Theaters. In an unconventional partnership, the theatre chain is distributing Swift’s film, confining its playtime to Thursdays through Sundays only.


The record-breaking opening weekend was characterized by Swift’s enthusiastic fan base flocking to theatres, with a significant portion of sales propelled by pre-booking. Owing to the 67% drop in its second weekend, it’s suggested that the fan fervour surrounding “The Eras Tour” was primarily an opening-weekend phenomenon.

Nonetheless, “The Eras Tour” has solidified itself as a movie sensation, quickly becoming the highest grossing concert film ever within North America unadjusted for inflation with a domestic total of $129.8 million.

Meanwhile, a lot was at stake for “Killers of the Flower Moon”, a historical crime drama that delves into a series of grisly murders perpetrated against the Osage nation in the 1920s. The film, which required a substantial budget of at least $200 million, marks Apple Studios’ most significant production to date. The streaming service joined forces with Paramount Pictures to bring Scorsese’s adaptation of David Grann’s best-seller to 3,628 screens, with a subsequent streaming release date on Apple TV+ yet to be announced.

The film made its debut with $23 million in earnings, claiming the third spot on Scorsese’s impressive opening weekend record list, following 2010’s “Shutter Island” ($41 million) and 2006’s “The Departed” ($26.9 million). “Killers of the Flower Moon,” featuring household names such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert De Niro, may face a challenging journey towards profitability, yet its launch was a significant triumph for a 206-minute adult-orientated drama, a genre that has been struggling at the box office in recent years.

Dietrich further reviews and considerable Oscar buzz, “Killers of the Flower Moon” promises a promising long run, reinforced by an additional $21 million from overseas. The film notably marks the best wide-release debut for a streaming company’s production, prompting Apple and Amazon, who recently acquired MGM, to adopt more expansive theatrical strategies than their competitor, Netflix.

The weekend’s top two movies displayed remarkable similarities, not least their extended runtimes. Viewing these as a double feature would equate to an over six-hour cinematic marathon, not including any additional ads or trailers. Surprisingly, “Killers of the Flower Moon” managed to draw an unexpectedly youthful audience, with Paramount reporting that 44% of ticket buyers were under 30.

In other box office news, “Exorcist: The Believer,” the horror sequel directed by David Gordon Green, occupied the third spot with $6.7 million in its third weekend of release. The children’s film, “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie,” came fourth with $4.3 million in its fourth weekend, followed closely by Tim Burton’s re-released “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” 30 years after it first appeared in theatres, collecting $4.1 million.