In its second weekend, Taylor Swift and AMC Theatres’ Eras Tour continued to dominate the domestic box office, pulling in an estimated $31 million. Meanwhile, Martin Scorsese’s Western adult drama, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” made a respectable debut with $23 million.
Taylor Swift’s movie, Eras Tour, has been setting records with an estimated North American total of $129.8 million through Sunday. It is the first concert film in history to cross the $100 million mark domestically, not adjusted for inflation. Additionally, it’s the first independently released film to achieve this in only two weekends in a decade.
“Killers of the Flower Moon,” featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, and Robert De Niro, had a solid nationwide opening, becoming the third-best opening in Scorsese’s career, following “Shutter Island” ($41 million) and “The Departed” ($26.9 million), not adjusted for inflation. It also shares the best CinemaScores of Scorsese’s career with “The Departed” and “Goodfellas,” earning an A-.
However, the pressure is on due to the film’s significant production cost, estimated at $200 million to $250 million, making it a big investment for Apple Original Films. The film’s success is crucial for Apple, which is banking on a lengthy run in theaters during awards season, given the strong reviews and audience exit polls.
A challenge for “Flower Moon” is its lengthy running time of three hours and 26 minutes. Adult dramas, as a genre, faced challenges during the pandemic and haven’t fully recovered.
Overseas, “Flower Moon” debuted with $21 million from 63 markets for a global total of $44 million. Westerns can be a tough sell internationally, and the absence of DiCaprio for publicity likely impacted its performance.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” is based on David Grann’s book, recounting the murders of Osage Nation tribe members in the 1920s after oil was found on their Oklahoma land.
This marks a significant moment for Apple’s film endeavors, as it represents one of the largest tech giant-produced films to receive a conventional theatrical release. Apple has signaled its commitment to both streaming and theatrical releases, with plans to spend $1 billion annually on movie production.
Apple’s next major theatrical release is Ridley Scott’s epic, “Napoleon,” starring Joaquin Phoenix, set to open on November 22.
In other box office news, “Exorcist: The Believer” placed third with $6.7 million in its third weekend, “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie” held at No. 4 with $4.5 million, and Disney’s annual rerelease of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” rounded out the top five with $4.1 million.
