{"id":11451,"date":"2023-10-06T13:24:05","date_gmt":"2023-10-06T13:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/taylor-swift-eras-tour-film-a-boost-for-box-office-amid-strikes\/"},"modified":"2023-10-06T13:24:05","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T13:24:05","slug":"taylor-swift-eras-tour-film-a-boost-for-box-office-amid-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/taylor-swift-eras-tour-film-a-boost-for-box-office-amid-strikes\/","title":{"rendered":"Taylor Swift ‘Eras Tour’ film: A boost for Box Office amid strikes?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cultural juggernaut Taylor Swift packed stadiums on her concert tour, made voting cool again by urging her fans to do their civic duty and had\u00a0teenage girls tuning in to professional football games\u00a0to see her cheer from the stands.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watch ARY News live on\u00a0live.arynews.tv<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

In her next act, Swift is poised to lift another corner of the economy: a movie box office still trying to recover from the pandemic and Hollywood strikes.<\/p>\n

When \u2018Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour\u2019<\/em> hits movie theaters on October 13, it will serve as a high-profile test of whether such \u2018alternative content\u2019 as a concert film can bring audiences to cinemas, creating more consistency for a business that ebbs and flows with the theatrical release calendar.<\/p>\n

Swift\u2019s film could bring in $120 million in its opening weekend, according to box office analysts and studio executives, delivering a jolt to ticket sales for AMC Theatres, Cineworld\u00a0and other chains.<\/p>\n

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But the vaunted Taylor Swift effect, together with a\u00a0concert film\u00a0from fellow pop superstar Beyonce, may not completely make up for holes created by Hollywood strikes.<\/p>\n

The labor unrest\u00a0has interrupted the movie industry\u2019s comeback, stalling momentum from summer hits such as \u2018Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse\u2019, \u2018Barbie\u2019 <\/em>and \u2018Oppenheimer\u2019<\/em> ahead of the crucial holiday season, which accounts for roughly one-quarter of the industry\u2019s annual box office revenue, according to research firm Comscore.<\/p>\n

\u201cSwift and Beyonce will certainly fill some of the gaps,\u201d said Box Office Pro senior analyst Shawn Robbins. \u201cStill, it\u2019s probably asking too much for those titles alone to completely make up for the revenue of \u2018Dune: Part 2,\u2019 \u2018Kraven the Hunter,\u2019<\/em> and the next \u2018Ghostbusters.<\/em>\u2018\u201d<\/p>\n

All three of those anticipated films were moved to 2024 because their stars cannot promote their movies while the SAG-AFTRA actors union remains on strike.<\/p>\n

After studios postponed those releases, theater owners scrambled to fill their screens with what the industry calls \u2018alternative content\u2019, such as the concert films from Swift and Beyonce\u2019s Renaissance Tour.<\/p>\n

BLOCKBUSTER SALES<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Advance sales for \u2018Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour\u2019<\/em> are on pace with a Star Wars or Marvel blockbuster. Box office analysts expect the documentary to take in between $150 million and $225 million over its theatrical run in the United States and Canada. \u2018Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce\u2019<\/em>, hitting theaters in December, is expected to bring in $75 million in ticket sales.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been talking about alternative programming for a long time,\u201d said Rolando Rodriguez, chairman of the National Association of Theatre Owners, noting that exhibitors have shown other forms of entertainment, such as opera. \u201cBut there\u2019s no question that the Eras Tour with Taylor Swift has really launched that into a new atmosphere. Beyonc\u00e9 will take it to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n

The announcement of Swift\u2019s movie \u2018was a huge unexpected surprise\u2019, said Brock Bagby, executive vice president for Missouri-based B&B Theatres, the fifth-largest U.S. theater chain with 529 screens in 14 states.<\/p>\n

Cinemas are aiming to turn the film, which will run Thursdays through Sundays, into an event. B&B Theatres will be rolling out pink carpets, setting up photo booths and encouraging fans to dance during the screening.<\/p>\n

Still, there is only so much Swift and Queen Bey can do.<\/p>\n

Despite a strong November line-up with \u2018The Marvels\u2019<\/em>, \u2018Trolls Band Together\u2019<\/em> and a \u2018Hunger Games\u2019<\/em> prequel, the Christmas slate looks thin compared to recent years. Two studio executives noted the lack of an obvious December blockbuster on the scale of \u2018Avatar: The Way of Water\u2019<\/em>, which was the highest-grossing film of 2022, or the 2021 hit \u2018Spider-Man: No Way Home\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

At the start of the year, box office tracker Bruce Nash had expected 2023 domestic ticket sales to reach $10 billion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe strike put an end to that,\u201d Nash said. He has slashed his 2023 forecast to roughly $9.6 billion, 32% higher than last year but 16% below the pre-pandemic proceeds of $11.4 billion in 2019.<\/p>\n

A lingering concern among theater owners is that the SAG-AFTRA strike will disrupt next year\u2019s film slate. Even if major studios and actors reach an agreement by Thanksgiving, productions likely will not resume until January because of the holidays. That would crimp the flow of new movies into theaters next year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just have a lot of uncertainty around the film slate,\u201d said B. Riley analyst Eric Wold, adding that detangling actors\u2019 packed schedules will pose a challenge. \u201cThere\u2019s going to be more risk that stuff that had not been completed, that was scheduled for release next year, will have to shift.\u201d<\/p>\n

Negotiators for striking Hollywood actors resumed contract talks on Monday with representatives of major studios, television networks and streaming services, marking the first time the two sides returned to the bargaining table since mid-July.<\/p>\n

The talks came eight days after the producers clinched a separate contract deal with Hollywood writers, who launched their own strike on May 2, about 10 weeks before the actors.<\/p>\n

Wedbush Securities analysts said they believe near-term damage from the strikes will be limited if actors reach a deal this month, and the impact on the 2024 release slate in that case \u2018will likely be mild\u2019.<\/p>\n

David Beckham has a piece of advice for Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce romance<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n