It’s Martin Scorsese Killers of the Flower Moon vs. Taylor Swift Eras Tour Concert Film at the box office.
Scorsese’s most awaited, Killers of the Flower Moon, is set to hit theaters with a bang. It is scheduled to be released in theaters in the United States on October 20, 2023, under their Apple Original Films label, and by Paramount Pictures. It will also be screened in IMAX theatres and is set for an unspecified streaming release on Apple TV+.
Aiming for a $20-30 million opening weekend across 3,621 North American screens. However, it faces stiff competition from Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. Seeks to maintain its dominance with $30-40 million in its second weekend.
Paramount Pictures is handling the distribution of the $200 million-budgeted Killers of the Flower Moon. Box office experts are split on whether its projected mid-$20 million debut would be disappointing for such an expensive film or impressive for an adult-skewing drama that runs at nearly three and a half hours. However, this didn’t hinder other long films like Christopher Nolan Oppenheimer or The Eras Tour from posting impressive earnings this year.
Additionally, an ongoing actor strike has restricted press opportunities for stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, and Robert De Niro, forcing Scorsese to shoulder most of the promotional duties since the movie’s premiere at Cannes Film Festival.
Unless there are major discrepancies in the projections for Killers of the Flower Moon or The Eras Tour, Swift’s concert film is poised to retain the top spot. According to the Variety, film which has earned $123 million globally, was produced for around $15 million and required a smaller marketing budget than the typical blockbuster.
Fans of Taylor Swift have flocked to theaters, propelling The Eras Tour to become the highest-grossing concert film in North America, surpassing previous records. This success is a much-needed boost for movie theater owners this fall.
