On Friday, October 13, The Eras Tour concert film of global sensation, Taylor Swift, was released in theaters worldwide.
Announced August 31, the film garnered $37 million in presales the very same day. By October 5, the movie had $100 million in global presales, making it the highest-grossing concert film before being released.
Fans, or “Swifties,” had anticipated the announcement of the movie after Swift’s first three shows in SoFi Stadium in LA were filmed.
Swift encouraged fans to treat the film like the concert: dressing up, singing, and trading friendship bracelets.
After scanning the tickets at the movie theater, fans were handed a poster of Swift and took pictures with friends in front of a pink backdrop.
Many of the moviegoers were young fans, new to being a ‘Swiftie,’ or fans who didn’t have the chance to see Swift live in concert.
People were dressed up in a variety of clothing: some in dresses, some in merchandise from her show, and others in outfits inspired by what Swift wore in various music videos.
The film begins by showing a thirteen-second countdown, paying homage to Swift’s lucky number. When the countdown gets to zero, the dancers start to come out and Swift kicks off the first ‘era’ of her show, “Lover.”
By “You Need to Calm Down,” fans had run down to the front row and started jumping and singing in front of the screen.
Each era in Swift’s set begins the way it does in the concert, with editing to add certain effects and features to introduce you to the next one.
Swift started The Eras Tour on March 17 in Glendale, Arizona. Since then, she has become a cultural phenomenon who is gaining more fans, boosting the economy, and advancing her career. At the beginning of her tour, she had ten studio albums and two re-recorded albums. By the end of her first US leg, she released her third re-record, two music videos, a collaboration with rapper Ice Spice, and announced her next re-record to be released on October 27.
Her impact is so strong and well-known that movies set to be released from October 6-October 27 were shifted to accommodate the release of the concert film.
Whether in all glam or sweats and a t-shirt, fans of Swift were able to come together to enjoy the movie and sing their hearts out for the night.