Taylor Swift has found herself in Laramie, Wyoming. Well, her movie has at least.
Swift’s movie, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” which was set to release on Friday, Oct.13, had a surprise early premiere on Oct. 12 due to unprecedented demand. Theaters saw fans of all ages, from all over flocking to theaters in record breaking numbers all across the United States.
The debut of the movie had a similar effect as Barbie, bringing in large, but expected, crowds.
“We had 79 people come to see our biggest showing [on Oct. 14], which is in our ARQ Theater,” said Rhea Hughes, a freshman studying accounting who works at Studio City UW. “It was pretty expected to have a bigger crowd.”
The artist herself encouraged singing, dancing, sparkling concert attire and friendship bracelets, and the Swifties didn’t disappoint. The theaters were filled with glitter, singing and dancing along to the show, and even chanting the fanmade adlibs heard at the live shows.
“I peeked in when Shake It Off was playing,” Hughes said. “[Viewers] were standing up and dancing and there were some kids in the front having a little dance party.”
“All the chants were done,” said Avery O’Flannigan, a student at Laramie High School. “Some girls [were singing and dancing] off to the side so that they weren’t in the way. There were some people in the back who were really up [and moving].”
Many of the filmgoers were families who enjoyed Swift’s previous concerts and show recording. Many were also seen dressed up in concert-like sequined outfits and celebrating their favorite eras.
“We went to the Reputation tour,” said 13-year-old Lilla. “I’ve [also] seen some of her other tours recorded.”
“[I’m excited for] 1989 because it got stuck in our car and dad couldn’t eject the disc,” said 11-year-old Roma. “We’ve listened to it since six years ago.”
Swift’s release was untraditional, though extremely successful. From camera crews, to lighting and camera equipment, to the editing process, the entire project was backed by the Swifts.
Additionally, instead of going through a movie studio in order to release the film to theaters, Swift made a deal directly with AMC, maximizing payoff for all parties. The film has already brought in $100 million in advanced ticket sales according to AMC.
Forbes projects “the potential to rake in an impressive $200 million globally at the box office” during opening weekend alone, far surpassing Barbie’s ‘biggest weekend debut of 2023’ record at $162 million.
Fans are far from deprived, as Swift is expected to release several more rerecordings in upcoming months following the success of her Eras Tour film.
