Swift Bests Scorsese at Box Office, but ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Opens Strongly 

A collection bucket and cup for “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” film is sold at Regal Cinemas on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, in Lynchburg, Va. (AP)
A collection bucket and cup for “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” film is sold at Regal Cinemas on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, in Lynchburg, Va. (AP)
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Swift Bests Scorsese at Box Office, but ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Opens Strongly 

A collection bucket and cup for “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” film is sold at Regal Cinemas on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, in Lynchburg, Va. (AP)
A collection bucket and cup for “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” film is sold at Regal Cinemas on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, in Lynchburg, Va. (AP)

In a movie match-up almost as unlikely as “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” Martin Scorsese took on Taylor Swift in cinemas over the weekend. And while the box office belonged for a second time to “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” got off to a strong start in Apple Studios’ first major theatrical gambit.

After a record-breaking opening weekend of $92.8 million, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” took in an estimated $31 million over the weekend from 3,855 locations, according to AMC Theaters. In an unconventional deal, the theater chain is distributing Swift’s 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 “The Eras Tour” was predominantly an opening-weekend phenomenon.

But “The Eras Tour” 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’s quickly accumulated $129.8 million domestically.

More was riding on “Killers of the Flower Moon,” 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’s adaptation of David Grann’s bestseller in 3,628 theaters, with plans to later stream it on a not-yet-announced date on Apple TV+.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” debuted with $23 million, marking the third best opening for the 80-year-old Scorsese, following “Shutter Island” ($41 million in 2010) and “The Departed” ($26.9 million in 2006). Though Scorsese’s latest opus, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro, will have a hard road to reaching profitability, it’s a successful launch for a 206-minute-long adult-skewing drama – a type of movie that, outside “Oppenheimer,” has struggled mightily at the box office in recent years.

And “Killers of the Flower Moon,” with rave reviews, an “A-” 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.

“Killer of the Flower Moon” also marks the best wide-release debut for a film from a streaming company. While Netflix (which backed Scorsese’s last narrative feature, “The Irishman,” 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’s upcoming “Napoleon,” with Joaquin Phoenix, which Sony Pictures will distribute Nov. 22; and has partnered with Universal for Matthew Vaughn’s “Argylle,” due out Feb. 2.

Paramount had initially signed on to produce and distribute “Killers of the Flower Moon,” but transitioned into the deal with Apple when costs of project — shot during the pandemic — rose.

“If ‘flexibility’ is the new mantra of the theatrical movie business, then this is a significant success — it establishes a viable option for the companies,” David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, said of the “Killers of the Flower Moon” launch.

As dissimilar as “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” are, they’re alike in their extended run times. A double feature of the weekend’s top two movies would have taken six hours and 14 minutes, not counting ads and trailers.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” also reeled in more young moviegoers than one might have expected. Paramount said 44% of ticket buyers were under the age of 30.

“Exorcist: The Believer,” the horror sequel directed by David Gordon Green, came in a distant third with $5.6 million in its third weekend of release. The Universal, Blumhouse film has grossed $54.2 million domestically.

“PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” came in at No. 4 with $4.5 million in its fourth weekend. The fifth spot went to the rerelease of Tim Burton's “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” which collected $4.1 million 30 years after it first landed in theaters.



‘Sinners’ Bites Off Phenomenal 2nd Weekend as 20-year-old Star Wars Movie Takes 2nd Place

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows director-writer-producer Ryan Coogler, left, and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw on the set of "Sinners." (Eli Adé/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows director-writer-producer Ryan Coogler, left, and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw on the set of "Sinners." (Eli Adé/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
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‘Sinners’ Bites Off Phenomenal 2nd Weekend as 20-year-old Star Wars Movie Takes 2nd Place

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows director-writer-producer Ryan Coogler, left, and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw on the set of "Sinners." (Eli Adé/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows director-writer-producer Ryan Coogler, left, and cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw on the set of "Sinners." (Eli Adé/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Horror movies are often one-week wonders at the box office, but Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” is defying the odds and proving to be true event cinema.
In its second weekend in theaters, “Sinners” earned $45 million in ticket sales from theaters in the US and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. That’s down a miniscule 6% from its Easter holiday launch, the smallest drop in any genre since “Avatar” in 2009. Worldwide, “Sinners” has now made $161.6 million.
For the industry, the showing proves the film's reach has broadened beyond horror fans to mainstream audiences wanting to see what the hype is about. Last weekend, men made up 56% of the audience. This weekend, the gender divide narrowed to 50/50. Premium large format showings, like the 70mm IMAX screens, are also a big draw. IMAX screens worldwide accounted for some 21% of the second weekend globally, a nearly 9% increase from last weekend.
The original ensemble movie, starring Michael B. Jordan as twins, rode into theaters on a wave of great reviews. And, to be fair, “Sinners” isn’t simply a horror film: It blends elements of drama, action and musical into its southern gothic milieu, The Associated Press reported.
“That’s one of the lowest second weekend holds for an overperforming wide release ever,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “It’s an absolute phenomenon."
Hollywood expects significant drop off in a movie's second week of release. Even a 50% dip is considered a solid number, baked into the movie math. When it's anything less than that, it's notable.
“You can buy a great opening weekend with marketing, but if a movie doesn’t have the goods, it’ll drop off," Dergarabedian said. “There's no greater barometer of success than a second weekend hold like this."
The film was produced by Coogler’s Proximity Media and Warner Bros., which handled the theatrical release. After some disappointments earlier in the year, it's the second major win for the studio after “A Minecraft Movie” helped energize the box office earlier this month.
“Sinners” easily topped the biggest new competition this week: “The Accountant 2,” a sequel starring Ben Affleck and released by Amazon MGM Studios, which opened in third place with an estimated $24.5 million in its first weekend. Gavin O'Connor directed the film, which played in 3,610 theaters in North America. Audiences gave it a promising A- CinemaScore.
The film that beat “The Accountant 2” for second place was a 20-year-old Star Wars movie: “Revenge of the Sith.” The anniversary re-release took in an estimated $25.2 million over the weekend, with many sellouts reported, more than doubling last year’s release of “The Phantom Menace.” Internationally, it earned $17 million from 34 territories, giving it a $42.2 million global weekend. It's one of the top grossing re-releases ever.
“A Minecraft Movie” landed in fourth place with $22.7 million, bringing its domestic total to around $380 million.
The scary video game adaptation “Until Dawn” also opened this weekend to an estimated $8 million, rounding out the top five. Sony Pictures released the film, starring Ella Rubin and Michael Cimino, which has earned $18.1 million globally.
The “Minecraft” and “Sinners” wins have meant a huge boost for the April box office, which is up 102% from April 2024. The annual box office is also up over 10% from last year after running at a double-digit deficit in March. And this is all happening right before the industry’s summer movie season kicks off on May 2 with Disney’s “Thunderbolts(asterisk).”
“There cannot be a better opening act for the summer movie season than this weekend,” Dergarabedian said.