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

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.

Oscar winner Steve McQueen had long wanted to make a movie about the Blitz - Germany's wartime aerial bombing of British cities - but it was seeing a photo of a Black boy waiting to be evacuated that inspired him to explore the theme through a child's eyes.

His film "Blitz" is based on thorough research and true events, the British director of "12 Years a Slave" and "Hunger" told Reuters in an interview.

While researching another project, he came across the photo of the boy at a train station - one of hundreds of thousands of British children to be evacuated from towns and cities during World War Two.

The film stars Saoirse Ronan as Rita, a Londoner who sends her son George, played by newcomer Elliott Heffernan, to the countryside for safety during the war. But George is determined to return home despite the dangers ahead.

Many of the characters and events George encounters are based on extensive research and documented by author Joshua Levine, who joined the project as a historical adviser, said McQueen.

"I thought, 'you've got to get it right'," McQueen said.

"In fact, the research sort of just propelled me and inspired me to the story and George's odyssey through London at that time. It was exciting because you found all these characters, all these facts, which most people unfortunately didn't know, and you want to sort of illuminate them on screen."

The Blitz - from the German word Blitzkrieg, or "lightning war" - lasted from Sept. 1940 until May 1941. For Britons it conjures up images of Londoners huddling in underground shelters and rallying to battle blazes and rescue people from the rubble.

McQueen said he had discovered a diverse, "quite cosmopolitan" London through his research.

"There was a large Chinese community and there was a Black presence. There was all kinds of presence here in London. I wasn't trying to push some kind of narrative. It was just what one found within the sort of everyday of London," he said.

Like George, 11-year-old Heffernan embarked on a transformative journey with the movie.

"It was a big adventure being on my first film, seeing how films are made and going out on different locations," said Heffernan, who was nine at the time of shooting.

The movie also proved new territory for four-time Oscar-nominee Ronan, who spent months working with a vocal coach to prepare for scenes which see her singing live.

"It's the kind of thing I've always been terrified to do in front of everyone, but I've always wanted to do it," Ronan, 30, told Reuters.

"It was incredible to see how strong you can become at something that you're just not a professional at after a few months. It gave me a lot of confidence."

"Blitz" is out in select cinemas on Nov. 1 and will stream on Apple TV+ from Nov. 22.

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