This weekend’s box office belonged to two undeniable draws: Taylor Swift and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, per abcnews.go.com.
While it might have looked like a heavyweight matchup, Swift’s devoted fanbase once again proved unstoppable. Her new film, The Official Release Party of a Show Girl, debuted at No. 1 with a commanding $33 million in North America, according to Sunday estimates from Comscore.
The film, an AMC Theatres release announced only two weeks ago, served as a companion piece to Swift’s 12th studio album. It packaged music videos, behind-the-scenes footage, and profanity-free lyric visuals into an 89-minute experience that played at all 540 AMC theaters in the U.S. for three days, with additional airings in Mexico, Canada, and Europe.
“For Taylor Swift to harness the power of the movie theater to build her brand, create excitement among her fans, and create a communal experience outside of her touring, outside of her live performances, is really a stroke of genius,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “To be able to add another $33 million to the box office bottom line is much welcomed by theater owners who were looking for content for their big screens.”
The stellar debut extends Swift’s box office dominance, following the massive success of her The Eras Tour concert film nearly two years prior, which opened to $96 million.
Meanwhile, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson saw a more modest showing with his venture into independent cinema. His A24 drama, The Smashing Machine, co-starring Emily Blunt, opened in third place with $6 million. The film trailed Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, which earned $11.1 million and has accumulated $107 million globally.
Despite strong reviews and a 15-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival for Johnson’s portrayal of MMA legend Mark Kerr, the opening marked one of his lowest as a lead.
“When major movie stars branch out into more indie roles, like Tom Cruise in Magnolia, they’re trying to redefine their career,” Dergarabedian noted. He added that the critical acclaim and “prestige factor” are the currency for Johnson in this scenario. “He knows box office. He studies this and he’s a business person. But also realize that when you go outside of your comfort zone, it puts him in a certain light… Dwayne Johnson is redefining what he can do.”
Beyond the two marquee names, the rest of the weekend lineup offered a wide mix of content. DreamWorks Animation’s family adventure Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie debuted in fourth with $5.2 million. The supernatural thriller The Conjuring: Last Rites followed in fifth with $4 million, pushing its global total to $458.2 million.
