Barbenheimer offered a new way of thinking about competitive theatrical releases, but Taylor Swift's upcoming concert movie is erasing the lesson.
SUMMARY
- Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film is expected to be a major cinematic event and potentially the biggest concert movie ever, with projected earnings of over $100 million.
- Studios should not be scared of competing with the concert movie but instead embrace the opportunity to position their films as unlikely counterparts, similar to the successful release of Barbenheimer.
- One of the movies that moved its release date, Dumb Money, has a Barbie connection through one of its stars, America Ferrera. This connection could attract audiences and generate interest in the Barbenheimer-style double bill experience.
The concert movie Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is threatening a box office opening so big that studios are already retreating to a pre-Barbenheimer mindset. There can be little doubt that the upcoming Era’s Tour movie will be a major cinematic event. Taylor Swift is arguably the biggest pop star on earth, and her worldwide Era’s Tour has been one of the most culturally dominant musical events in recent memory. The high prices and high demand for show tickets mean that the more widely accessible film release will be the best option for a vast proportion of those wishing to see the concert.
With the announcement that Taylor Swift: The Era’s Tour will come to theaters on October 13th, there are already reports of studios moving their films to avoid competition with the concert movie. Yet this fear of major blockbuster releases seems to forget one of the most significant cinematic events of the year, Barbenheimer. The simultaneous release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer on July 21st became an internet phenomenon that is credited with increasing the box office earnings of both films by framing them as an unlikely double bill. It offered a fascinating alternative to blockbuster competition, but it seems already to be fading into history.
Studios Shouldn't Be Scared Of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour Concert Film
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is expected to make a big splash at the box office. Projections anticipate earnings of over $100 million, which would make The Eras Tour the biggest concert movie ever. Two movies have already changed their October release dates to avoid being bulldozed by The Era’s Tour’s opening. Instead of shuffling films away from the concert movie (and creating a logjam of releases in late September), studios should embrace the difference and position the films as unlikely counterparts, much like Barbenheimer.
The films in question are Dumb Money, a dramatization of the 2021 Reddit-Gamestop affair, and Blumhouse’s The Exorcist: Believer. The former is a fast-paced drama-comedy, and the other is a legacy horror sequel; neither film aims for the same demographic as Taylor Swift: The Era’s Tour. As such, the rewards of combing the audiences for a Barbenheimer-like same-day release would dramatically outweigh the risks. Blumhouse even considered pushing an “Exorswift” hashtag but eventually chose to move The Exorcist: Believer. It’s another example of Hollywood having calcified itself in risk-aversion. When a massive cultural moment offers a new and exciting way to think about releases, it should be embraced, not forgotten.
One Of The Movies That Swift Scared Away Actually Has A Barbie Connection
It wouldn’t be hard to draw Barbenheimer parallels with either of the films that almost dropped alongside Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. The Exorcist: Believer obviously calls the connection to mind, offering a similar contrast between a sugary, upbeat film and its much graver counterpart. Dumb Money doesn’t support this formula, but the film does call Barbenheimer to mind with one of its stars; America Ferrera, who plays Gloria in Barbie, has a major role in Dumb Money. The connection could encourage audiences to repeat the Barbenheimer fun which it recalls. Although the contrast isn’t as stark, it’s worth banking on this reawakened fondness for the double bill.
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