By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (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 features of the weekend's top two movies would have taken you six hours and 14 minutes, not counting ads and trailers.
"Killers of the Flower Moon" also reeled in more young moviegoers than you 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 $4.3 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.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.
1. "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour," $31 million.
2. "Killers of the Flower Moon," $23 million.
3. "The Exorcist: Believer," $5.6 million.
4. "Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie," $4.5 million.
5. "The Nightmare Before Christmas," $4.1 million.
6. "Saw X," $3.6 million.
7. "The Creator," $2.6 million.
8. "Leo: Bloody Sweet," $2.1 million.
9. "A Haunting in Venice," $1.1 million.
10. "The Blind," $1 million.
SCHROM x Yacht Club and Be Electric Studios Launch Electric XR for Virtual Production
SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More