The AMC distributed Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour returned yesterday, Thursday, at around noon after a three day pause, pulling in $5.9M per industry estimates. This takes the running total of the Sam Wrench directed concert film to $98.7M at 3,855 theaters. Meanwhile, Apple Original Films big splash into wide theatrical releases with Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, distributed by Paramount, drew $2.6M in previews that began at 2PM. Why so early? The Leonardo DiCaprio Robert De Niro movie is 3 hours and 26 minutes long.
Comps to Killers of the Flower Moon are Ford v. Ferrari at $2.1M and Elvis which did $3.5M. Elvis at 2 hours and 39 minutes opened to $31.2M while Ford v. Ferrari at 2 hours and 32 minutes had a $31.4M start.
Heading into the weekend, many are expecting that it’s Swift’s to lose with at a bare minimum second weekend take of $27M, -70%. However, no one has been able to gauge 100% the trajectory of this young female-skewing pic. While we heard most of the presales were for last weekend, we’ll see if the Swifties show up again this weekend.
That said, in an autumn box office season turned upside down by the actors strike, and thespians unable to promote, many are bullish on the first weekend prospects of Killers of the Flower Moon exceeding a $20M+ start. By the way, that’s just north of the $19M opening weekend average for a DiCaprio movie with Scorsese. Paramount made sure that Killers of the Flower Moon had all the Imax and PLF screens working to its upside this weekend. Some wouldn’t be surprised if it beats Swift. The last time the actors promoted the movie was back at its Cannes Film Festival world premiere in May. After the wattage of such movies like The Creator and A Haunting in Venice was squashed by the actors strike, how could a long-movie like Killers of the Flower Moon actually break through? Many attribute its possible upside to DiCaprio’s starpower, the fact that Scorsese (who brings in moviegoers) has been out there promoting, a vacancy for such star powered big pics on the marquee, plus the fact that the movie is based on a bestselling novel by David Grann. Among several exclusives that Deadline has reported on Killers of the Flower Moon, Imperative Entertainment’s Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas, won the book rights back in 2016, shelling out $5M. Apple won the auction for the Scorsese-DiCaprio-De Niro package, the film costing around $200M+ after Oklahoma tax credits.
Already, early audience Comscore/Screen Engine exits are showing that there’s not a divide between moviegoers and critics when it comes to Killers of the Flower Moon. While movie reviewers are at 93% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, PostTrak shows 4 1/2 stars, 87% positive and a 72% recommend. While men over 25 repped half of last night’s crowd and women over 25 another 30%, it was men under 25 at 13% who gave the movie its best grades, that being 95%. Overall guys showed up at 64%. These demos will fluctuate throughout the weekend.
Apple Original Films has not set a streaming date yet for the movie as they want a long theatrical window during awards season.
Top theaters last night for the Scorsese movie came from NY, LA, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, San Francisco, Toronto, Boston, and Vancouver.
Rest of yesterday: Universal/Blumhouse’s Exorcist: The Believer saw around $746K, -9% for a two-week running total of $48.6M.
Third belongs to Indian action movie, Leo: Bloody Sweet. Although it made $679K yesterday stateside and $1.87M on Wednesday at 720 theaters, the Joseph Vijay starring feature directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj broke several box office records with Rs 63 crore (630 million) in India on day one across all languages, which is the biggest opening for a Kollywood film in India. Abroad, the pic made Rs 66 crore (Rs 660 million). Global take is Rs 130 crore (1.3 billion). Leo has joined blockbusters like RRR, Baahubali 2, KGF 2, and Pathaan in those titles that have crossed Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) worldwide on their opening day. Pic follows Parthiban, who is a mild mannered cafe owner in Kashmir, where he fends off a gang of murderous thugs. He gains attention from a drug cartel who claims he was once a part of them.
Here’s the trailer: