Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl‘ Opens to $12 Tickets, While Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s โ’Smashing Machine‘ Disappoints at Box Office
LOS ANGELES – Taylor Swift’s concert film extension, Showgirl, debuted in theaters โฃFriday with a unique pricing strategy: $12 โฃfor standard showings, a nod to the film being Swift’s 12th studio album. While the filmโข is playing for a โขlimited three-day run and consists of lyric videos, musicโ videos, and behind-the-scenes footage anchored by the โขpremiere of the “The Fate โคofโค Ophelia”โ music video, it arrives on โthe heels of The โEras Tour‘s unprecedented success, which grossed $261.6 millionโ globally fromโค a $93.2โ million domestic opening. Swift and โher team self-financed The Eras Tour โ for $15 million, โฃpartnering with AMC โคTheatres for โฃdistribution; showgirl is being released throughโ AMC Theatres Distribution โขin partnership with Variance Films (U.S. and Canada) and Piece of โฃMagic Entertainment internationally.
However, the โคweekend box officeโ wasn’t universally celebratory. Dwayne “The Rock” โJohnson’sโ dramatic turn in Smashing Machine, directed byโ Benny Safdie and co-starring Emily Blunt, underperformed expectations. theโค film, based on the true story of former UFC fighter โฃMark Kerr’s struggles with trauma and โคaddiction,โข marks Johnson’s first foray into awards-season contention.
Meanwhile, โJames โCameron’s avatar: The Way of โฃWater is beingโ rereleased exclusively in 3D as a promotional push โคforโ the upcoming Avatar: Ash and Fire this Christmas,โ playing inโ 90 percent of domestic IMAX auditoriums and projected toโ earn $2 million to $3 โmillion domestically from 2,100 theaters.
According toโข The Hollywood Reporter‘s โฃreview, Showgirl โข”is strictly for the diehards. But while there’s something to be said for โฃthe communal โคexperience ofโฃ absorbing an โฃalbum surrounded by dozens โฃof like-minded fans, what’s actually being โserved up โฃon screen is โขmore โฃfiller than killer.”