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Taylor Swift’s: In a thrilling turn of events for Taylor Swift and her fans, the highly anticipated Eras Tour concert film has stormed the box office, setting new records and shattering expectations. Swift’s dedicated fan base, known as the Swifties, had box office analysts making blockbuster-style predictions in the lead-up to the film’s release.

While the pop sensation didn’t quite hit the coveted $100 million benchmark, domestic ticket sales reached an impressive $95 million, according to AMC Entertainment, the film’s distributor. The theater chain initially provided a revenue range of $95 million to $97 million for the film’s opening weekend, with an official figure expected to be released soon once all ticket sales have been tallied.

Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at BoxOffice.com, commented on the film’s remarkable debut, stating, “The film’s debut is an undeniable tentpole-level success despite the challenges of predicting what it might achieve. Swift, her fans, and theatrical exhibition should all be celebrating the results.”

What’s even more astonishing is that Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film has not only become the highest-grossing concert film release domestically but has also outperformed Justin Bieber’s “Never Say Never,” which earned $73 million over its entire theatrical run in 2011, all in a single weekend. Additionally, it easily surpassed Miley Cyrus’ “Best of Both Worlds,” which held the record for the highest opening at $31.1 million in 2008.

One noteworthy feat is that Swift’s Eras Tour film became the most widely released concert film in history, hitting more than 3,850 domestic locations during its debut. Monday’s official tally will determine if Swift’s opening weekend surpasses the record set by 2019’s “The Joker” ($96.2 million) and whether it ranks as the sixth or seventh-highest opening of 2023, with Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” securing $95.6 million when it opened in May.

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There’s even the possibility that the film’s momentum, driven by word of mouth and the adoration of Swift’s devoted fan base, could propel it closer to that illustrious $100 million figure.

As Shawn Robbins pointed out, “forecasts were always going to be incredibly volatile given the highly unique nature of this release,” considering factors such as ticket pricing, fan pre-sales, and non-Swiftie viewers drawn by traditional marketing.

Initial expectations suggested an opening weekend ranging between $40 million and $60 million, with some estimates even reaching $150 million. The film came close to the forecasted range, scoring $39 million on Friday, which included $2.8 million from last-minute Thursday night previews.

Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, emphasized that the massive interest in the film should not diminish the significance of this box office achievement. Notably, a remarkable 60% of tickets were purchased in advance, far exceeding the 40% typically seen for big tentpole releases.

Around 4.8 million people were estimated to have attended the film during the weekend, with an average ticket price of $20.75. An impressive 80% of the audience consisted of female viewers.

While international box office figures were not immediately available on Sunday, the film’s solid domestic opening has raised expectations for its global performance. Swift’s film, with its weekend-only engagements in theaters, aims to surpass the $262.5 million global haul of “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” during its limited run.

In the coming weeks, comparisons to other releases may be challenging due to the film’s unique screening schedule, but weekend-to-weekend figures will provide valuable insights. As Dergarabedian noted, “The question now is what the Swift film will do for an encore in the coming days and weeks. Reports of a spectacular in-theater experience bode well for the long-term playability of the film and guarantee it will easily eclipse the $100 million mark in the domestic market.”