In a movie match-up almost as unlikely as Martin Scorsese took on Taylor Swift in cinemas over the weekend. And while the box office belonged for a second time to 鈥淭aylor Swift: The Eras Tour,鈥� Scorsese鈥檚 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon鈥� got off to a strong start in Apple Studios鈥� first major theatrical gambit.
After of $92.8 million, 鈥淭aylor Swift: The Eras Tour鈥� took in an estimated $31 million over the weekend from 3,855 locations, according to AMC Theaters. , the theater chain is distributing Swift鈥檚 concert film, and playing it only Thursdays through Sundays.
Most Swifties rushed to see the film on opening weekend, when a large percent of sales were driven by advance ticketing. Sales dropped a steep 67% in its second weekend, potentially signifying that 鈥淭he Eras Tour鈥� was predominantly an opening-weekend phenomenon.
But 鈥淭he Eras Tour鈥� has still proved to be a movie event unlike any other. Within days, it became the highest grossing concert film ever in North America, not accounting for inflation. It鈥檚 quickly accumulated $129.8 million domestically.
More was riding on a historical crime drama about a string of murders against the Osage nation in the early 1920s. The film, which cost at least $200 million to make, is the largest production yet from Apple Studios. The streamer partnered with Paramount Pictures to release Scorsese鈥檚 adaptation of David Grann鈥檚 bestseller in 3,628 theaters, with plans to later stream it on a not-yet-announced date on Apple TV+.
鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon鈥� debuted with $23 million, marking the third best opening for the 80-year-old Scorsese, following 鈥淪hutter Island鈥� ($41 million in 2010) and 鈥淭he Departed鈥� ($26.9 million in 2006). Though Scorsese鈥檚 latest opus, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro, will have a hard road to reaching profitability, it鈥檚 a successful launch for a 206-minute-long adult-skewing drama 鈥� a type of movie that, has struggled mightily at the box office in recent years.
And 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon,鈥� with , an 鈥淎-鈥� CinemaScore from audiences and the backing of a robust Oscar campaign, should continue to play well over the long haul. It added $21 million overseas.
鈥淜iller of the Flower Moon鈥� also marks the best wide-release debut for a film from a streaming company. While Netflix (which backed Scorsese鈥檚 last narrative feature, in 2019) has charted a mostly limited approach to theatrical release, Apple and Amazon, which last year closed its purchase of MGM, have pursued more expansive theatrical strategies.
Earlier this year, Apple said it plans to spend $1 billion a year making movies that will have theatrical releases before reaching its streaming service. Apple is also behind Ridley Scott鈥檚 upcoming 鈥淣apoleon,鈥� with Joaquin Phoenix, which Sony Pictures will distribute Nov. 22, and has partnered with Universal for Matthew Vaughn鈥檚 鈥淎rgylle,鈥� due out Feb. 2.
Paramount had initially signed on to produce and distribute 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon,鈥� but transitioned into the deal with Apple when costs of project, shot during the pandemic, rose.
鈥淚f 鈥榝lexibility鈥� is the new mantra of the theatrical movie business, then this is a significant success 鈥� it establishes a viable option for the companies,鈥� David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, said of the 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon鈥� launch.
As dissimilar as 鈥淭aylor Swift: The Eras Tour鈥� and 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon鈥� are, they鈥檙e alike in their extended run times. A double features of the weekend鈥檚 top two movies would have taken you six hours and 14 minutes, not counting ads and trailers.
鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon鈥� also reeled in more young moviegoers than you might have expected. Paramount said 44% of ticket buyers were under the age of 30.
鈥淓xorcist: The Believer,鈥� the horror sequel directed by David Gordon Green, came in a distant third with $6.7 million in its third weekend of release. The Universal, Blumhouse film has grossed $54.2 million domestically.
鈥淧AW Patrol: The Mighty Movie鈥� came in at No. 4 with $4.3 million in its fourth weekend. The fifth spot went to the rerelease of Tim Burton鈥檚 鈥淭he Nightmare Before Christmas,鈥� which collected $4.1 million 30 years after it first landed in theaters.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. 鈥淭aylor Swift: The Eras Tour,鈥� $31 million.
2. 鈥淜illers of the Flower Moon,鈥� $23 million.
3. 鈥淭he Exorcist: Believer,鈥� $5.6 million.
4. 鈥淧aw Patrol: The Mighty Movie,鈥� $4.5 million.
5. 鈥淭he Nightmare Before Christmas,鈥� $4.1 million.
6. 鈥淪aw X,鈥� $3.6 million.
7. 鈥淭he Creator,鈥� $2.6 million.
8. 鈥淟eo: Bloody Sweet,鈥� $2.1 million.
9. 鈥淎 Haunting in Venice,鈥� $1.1 million.
10. 鈥淭he Blind,鈥� $1 million.
