Taylor Swift’s ‘Life of a Showgirl’ has taken the domestic box office by storm, projected to earn $28 million to $32 million this weekend from 3,702 theaters.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the concert-cum-cinematic event scored an A+ CinemaScore, with nearly 90 percent of Friday’s audience being female. Some insiders believe the weekend total could even approach $35 million.
Swift kept the project secret until September 19, when she announced that advance tickets would go on sale for $12, matching the theme of her 12th studio album; and premium screenings cost more. The 89-minute presentation mixes music videos, behind-the-scenes footage, and lyric videos, featuring the world premiere of her self-directed music video for ‘The Fate of Ophelia’.
The success follows Swift’s 2023 Eras Tour concert film, which opened with $93.2 million domestically and went on to become the top-grossing concert film worldwide with $261.6 million. Showgirl is being released in partnership with AMC Theatres, Variance Films, and Piece of Magic Entertainment.
By contrast, Dwayne Johnson’s A24 drama ‘The Smashing Machine’ has struggled in its debut. Playing in 3,345 theaters, it earned $2.7 million on Friday and is projected to finish the weekend around $6 million, well below expectations of $12 million to $14 million. Audiences gave the R-rated biopic a B- CinemaScore.
The film tells the story of UFC fighter Mark Kerr and his battles with trauma and addiction, and Johnson’s performance has been praised by critics.
Other box office news includes Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, expected to earn $10.8 million in its second weekend for a 10-day domestic total of $80 million.
Swift’s box office dominance highlights her unmatched pull at theaters, while ‘The Smashing Machine’ faces a slow start. Industry insiders remain hopeful the film will gain momentum through word of mouth and awards buzz.
