LOS ANGELES (AP) โ This weekendโs box office belonged to two undeniable draws:ย Taylor Swiftย andย Dwayne โThe Rockโ Johnson.
It might have looked like a heavyweight matchup, butย Swiftโs devoted fanbaseย once again proved unstoppable with her film โThe Official Release Party of a Show Girl,โ which debuted at No. 1 with $33 million in North America, according to Sunday estimates from Comscore. The AMC Theatres release —ย announced only two weeks agoย with minimal promotion — served as a companion piece toย Swiftโs 12th studio album, packaging music videos, behind-the-scenes footage and profanity-free lyric visuals into an 89-minute experience.
The film played at all 540 AMC theaters in the U.S. for three days, ending after Sunday. AMC aired the show in Mexico, Canada and across Europe.
โFor Taylor Swift to harness the power of the movie theater to build her brand, create excitement among her fans, and create a communal experience outside of her touring, outside of her live performances, is really a stroke of genius,โ said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. โTo be able to add another $33 million to the box office bottom line is much welcomed by theater owners who were looking for content for their big screens.โ
It comes nearly two years after herย โThe Eras Tourโ concert film opened to $96 million, with Swift extending her streak of box office dominance.
Meanwhile, Johnson saw a more modest showing. His A24 dramaย โThe Smashing Machine,โย co-starringย Emily Blunt,ย opened in third place with a mere $6 million, trailing Paul Thomas Andersonโsย โOne Battle After Another,โย which earned $11.1 million and has now accumulated $107 million globally.
Despite strong reviews and a 15-minute standing ovation at theย Venice Film Festivalย — where Johnsonย drew praise for portraying MMA legend Mark Kerrย โ the film marked one of the lowest openings as a lead.
โWhen major movie stars branch out into more indie roles, like Tom Cruise in โMagnolia,” they’re trying to redefine their career,” Dergarabedian said. โThey can straddle both universes, so Dwayne Johnson and all the acclaim heโs getting. That prestige factor. Thatโs the currency. He knows box office. He studies this and he’s a business person. But also realize that when you go outside of your comfort zone, it puts him in a certain light. … Dwayne Johnson is redefining what he can do.โ
Beyond the two marquee names, the rest of the weekend lineup offered a wide mix ranging from animated adventures to horror sequels and international releases.
DreamWorks Animationโs family adventureย โGabbyโs Dollhouse: The Movieโย debuted in fourth place with $5.2 million, expanding the popular Netflix preschool series to the big screen. Warner Bros.โ supernatural thrillerย โThe Conjuring: Last Ritesโย followed in fifth with $4 million, pulling in $458.2 million globally.
In sixth wasย โDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba โ Infinity Castle,โย the latest entry in the hit Japanese anime saga, earning $3.5 million. A re-release ofย โAvatar: The Way of Waterโย made a splash in seventh with $3.1 million โ a solid return for the 2022 blockbuster ahead of โAvatar: The Fire and Ashโ on Dec. 19.
Rounding out the top 10 wereย โThe Strangers: Chapter 2โย with $2.8 million, the IFC dark comedy โGood Boyโ with $2.2 million, marking the company’s second-best opening weekend ever. โKantara: A Legend โ Chapter 1โ with $1.7 million.
Dergarabedian said he’s looking forward to October films such as โTron: Ares,โ โKiss of the Spider Womanโ and โRoofman,” starring Channing Tatum.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. โThe Official Release Party of a Show Girl,โ $33 million
2. โOne Battle After Another,โ $11.1 million.
3. โThe Smashing Machine,โ $6 million.
4. โGabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie,โ $5.2 million.
5. โThe Conjuring: Last Rites,โ $4 million.
6. โโDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba โ Infinity Castle,โ $3.5 million.
7. โAvatar: The Way of Water,โ $3.1 million.
8. โThe Strangers: Chapter 2,โ $2.8 million.
9. โโGood Boy,โ $2.2 million.
10. โKantara A Legend: Chapter 1,โ $1.7 million.
