Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour outsells Scorsese's Killers Of The Flower Moon at the box office

Martin Scorsese's Killers Of The Flower Moon took on Taylor Swift's Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in cinemas over the weekend.

Swift came out on top at the box office but Scorsese still hit the ground running with Apple Studios’ first major theatrical gambit.

According to AMC Theatres, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour took in a record-breaking 92.8 million dollars on opening weekend. The film then took in an estimated 31 million dollars over the weekend from 3,855 locations. The cinema chain is distributing Swift’s concert film, and playing it only Thursdays through Sundays.

A large percentage of sales were driven by advance ticketing. Sales dropped down a whopping 67% in its second weekend, signifying that The Eras Tour was potentially an opening weekend phenomenon.

The film has become the highest-grossing concert film ever in North America, not accounting for inflation. It has quickly accumulated 129.8 million dollars (£106.8 million) domestically.

After costing at least 200 million dollars to make, Killers Of The Flower Moon debuted in North America with 23 million dollars, which is the third-best opening for 80-year-old Scorsese, following Shutter Island ($41m in 2010) and The Departed ($26.9m in 2006).

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro, the film had a successful launch for a 206-minute-long adult-skewing drama – a type of movie that, outside Oppenheimer, would usually struggle at the box office.

After rave reviews coming in from opening weekend Killers Of The Flower Moon should continue to play well over the long haul. Internationally, it made $21m, for a global total of 44 million dollars.

Scorsese's release also marks the best wide-release debut for a film from a streaming company.

Netflix backed Scorsese’s last narrative feature, The Irishman, in 2019. It charted a mostly limited approach to theatrical release, Apple and Amazon, which last year closed its purchase of MGM, have pursued more expansive theatrical strategies.

Apple and Amazon, which last year closed its purchase of MGM, have pursued more expansive theatrical strategies. Apple is looking to spend one billion dollars a year making movies that will have theatrical releases before reaching its streaming service.

Paramount had initially signed on to produce and distribute Killers Of The Flower Moon but transitioned into the deal with Apple due to rising costs during the pandemic.

The film attracted a younger audience than one might have expected, with Paramount saying 44% of ticket buyers were under the age of 30.