Taylor Swift's 'The Official Release Party of a Show Girl' debuts at No. 1 with $33 million

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — This weekend’s box office belonged to two undeniable draws: Taylor Swift and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

It might have looked like a heavyweight matchup, but Swift’s devoted fanbase once again proved unstoppable with her film “The Official Release Party of a Show Girl,” which debuted at No. 1 with $33 million in North America, according to Sunday estimates from Comscore. The AMC Theatres release -- announced only two weeks ago with minimal promotion -- served as a companion piece to Swift’s 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.

“For 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,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. “To 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.”

It comes nearly two years after her “The Eras Tour” concert film opened to $96 million, with Swift extending her streak of box office dominance.

Meanwhile, Johnson saw a more modest showing. His A24 drama “The Smashing Machine,” co-starring Emily Blunt, opened in third place with a mere $6 million, trailing Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another,” which earned $11.1 million and has now accumulated $107 million globally.

Despite strong reviews and a 15-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival -- where Johnson drew praise for portraying MMA legend Mark Kerr — the film marked one of the lowest openings as a lead.

“When major movie stars branch out into more indie roles, like Tom Cruise in ”Magnolia," they're trying to redefine their career," Dergarabedian said. “They can straddle both universes, so Dwayne Johnson and all the acclaim he’s getting. That prestige factor. That’s 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.”

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 Animation’s family adventure “Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie” debuted in fourth place with $5.2 million, expanding the popular Netflix preschool series to the big screen. Warner Bros.’ supernatural thriller “The Conjuring: Last Rites” followed in fifth with $4 million, pulling in $458.2 million globally.

In sixth was “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle,” the latest entry in the hit Japanese anime saga, earning $3.5 million. A re-release of “Avatar: The Way of Water” made a splash in seventh with $3.1 million — a solid return for the 2022 blockbuster ahead of “Avatar: The Fire and Ash” on Dec. 19.

Rounding out the top 10 were “The Strangers: Chapter 2” with $2.8 million, the IFC dark comedy “Good Boy” with $2.2 million, marking the company's second-best opening weekend ever. “Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1” with $1.7 million.

Dergarabedian said he's looking forward to October films such as “Tron: Ares,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and “Roofman," starring Channing Tatum.

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. “The Official Release Party of a Show Girl,” $33 million

2. “One Battle After Another,” $11.1 million.

3. “The Smashing Machine,” $6 million.

4. “Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie,” $5.2 million.

5. “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” $4 million.

6. ““Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle,” $3.5 million.

7. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $3.1 million.

8. “The Strangers: Chapter 2,” $2.8 million.

9. ““Good Boy,” $2.2 million.

10. “Kantara A Legend: Chapter 1,” $1.7 million.