How Taylor Swift's 'Power Move' Is Causing Movie Studios To Miss Out On Millions Of Dollars
Taylor Swift is once again setting a new precedent.
AMC theatres | wikimedia commons, Taylor Swift Eras Tour Concert Film | Taylor Swift, Sam Wrench, AMC theatres Taylor Swift’s title of pop icon has been solidified through her record-smashing Eras Tour, which touched down in cities across the United States for 52 dates. Not only has she extended the tour into 2024, she’s also putting out a concert film, titled “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.” Devoted fans will have another chance to watch Swift, popcorn in hand, at their local movie theaters.
However, instead of going through a Hollywood studio to produce the film as is traditionally done, Swift has signed directly with AMC theaters.
Taylor Swift’s direct deal with AMC Theatres will cause movie studios to miss out on millions of dollars.
On August 31, 2023, Swift announced on Instagram that she's releasing an Eras Tour concert film, and in doing so, she’s changing the way movies are distributed.
Posting an 80-second trailer for the 2-hour 45-minute concert film, Swift wrote, “The Eras Tour has been the most meaningful, electric experience of my life so far and I’m overjoyed to tell you that it’ll be coming to the big screen soon. Starting Oct 13th you’ll be able to experience the concert film in theaters in North America!”
Team Swift’s decision to utilize AMC as the official distributor of the concert film shakes up the traditional structure of how movies have been released, up until now.
As noted in an article from Slashfilm.com, there are traditionally three parties working together to bring movies into theaters: the producer, the distributor, and the exhibitor. She cut out the middle man — Hollywood studio distributors — to make a direct deal with the exhibitors, the theaters themselves.
After announcing the film’s theatrical release, Swifties rushed to purchase presale tickets, crashing AMC’s app. What happened next was another record-breaking moment for Swift and her fans: the record for AMC’s single-day ticket sales was broken in only three hours, setting a new record of $26 million.
Swift broke open the mold of how movies get distributed, a move that's costing Hollywood studios millions.
The news of Swift bypassing studios to release a film comes at a turning point for the film industry, as the SAG-AFTRA strikes stretch on. Swift’s power move sends a message to movie studios, loud and clear —they’re not needed to distribute films. According to Billboard, the Eras filmmakers received clearance under an interim agreement, so neither the filming nor the promotion of the concert movie violated union rules, which prohibit members from promoting work during the strikes.
The film was shot during the first three nights of the Eras Tour stop in Los Angeles from August 3rd to August 9th, 2023. Ticket prices for the movie are a Swift-style Easter egg, themselves — adult prices are $19.89, and children and senior prices are $13.13, not including tax.
Swift’s fans have shown their devotion throughout her career, especially during her current Eras Tour. She's sidestepping how movie distribution has operated for decades, shaking up a tradition that could now be deemed outdated. By releasing her concert film directly to theaters, Swift is proving, once again, that she makes her own rules, and it’s up to the rest of the world to follow her.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers celebrity gossip, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.