On Friday, Oct. 13, global pop phenomenon Taylor Swift released her highly anticipated concert film for her most recent adventure, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour.”
The film covered some 40 songs across 10 albums as Swift danced, sang and spoke in endless glitter and sparkles for her spectacle show.
According to AMC Theatres, the film experienced “unprecedented demand,” surpassing $100 million in presales and breaking the record for the highest revenue for ticket sales in one day.
Two days before the release, Swift held a premiere for the film in Los Angeles, CA, where select superfans were personally invited to watch the movie early. There, Swift announced there would be additional showings at theaters across the country due to the intense demand.
In typical Swift fashion, the ticket prices were Easter eggs that related to her career. Adult tickets were listed for $19.89, in reference to Swift’s birth year and recently re-recorded album. Children’s tickets were $13.00, Swift’s infamous lucky number that artfully reoccurs throughout her career and work.
Along with an almost-three-hour movie, AMC Theatres collaborated with Swift on special edition Eras Tour popcorn buckets, cups, posters and tote bags for “Swifties” to enjoy while watching the superstar on the big screen.
Fans took the opportunity to dress up as their favorite era and trade friendship bracelets, a reference to Swift’s “Midnights” track “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” as if they were at the actual concert.
“For me, it was really awesome seeing the movie because I got to really focus on the details of the tour and see things I missed from the adrenaline rush I experienced the actual night of the actual Eras Tour,” said Gini Peña, a junior exercise science major.
Following the release, videos went viral on social media of fans dancing and singing along with the movie. While some enjoyed the experience, others criticized the fans for their behavior since they were at a movie theater, not a stadium.
“It was really fun,” said Grace Greer, a public health major. “I loved singing along with other Swifties. You don’t really see many other people doing this. I love all of the attention she’s getting. I can’t gatekeep her forever, so I’m really just proud of her.”
As reported by Forbes, the film is now the highest-grossing concert film in domestic history and joined the likes of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” for top releases of 2023. The film has helped push Swift into the allusive “billionaires club,” a feat she has accomplished predominantly through music alone.
“I think releasing the tour as a movie was a genius and super inclusive marketing move on [Swift’s] part,” said Alexis Snyder, a senior psychology major. “Not only is she generating more revenue, but people who weren’t able to go see the tour in person are now able to go watch the entire thing at a more affordable price.”
For those who have been following Swift for years over her nearly two-decade-spanning career, many described the experience as emotional. Some even said that the movie showed just how much Swift cares for her fanbase by making the tour accessible for all.
“I started crying at one point in the movie because there was this group of girls that were eight or nine years old that were singing their heart out to ‘The Man,’” Snyder said. “I just think that’s so important because no one is ever going to be able to tell them that they’re not worthy, or they’re not powerful or they can’t be successful because they have Taylor Swift and her music to look up to.”
