Following Taylor Swift’s announcement of a concert film from her The Eras Tour coming to theaters, Beyoncé has also revealed plans to release a hybrid concert movie and behind-the-scenes documentary centered around her Renaissance World Tour at AMC Theaters later this year. While both projects from these music icons may appear quite similar on the surface, there is one significant difference between them.
Beyoncé’s movie primarily focuses on her Renaissance World Tour, which supported her album of the same name. The full-length took the world by storm in mid-2022, and the global tour concluded on October 1. According to Variety, Beyoncé’s movie is tentatively scheduled to premiere in theaters on December 1.
By the time Beyoncé’s movie hits theaters, her Renaissance World Tour will have been over for months. This means that the film won’t possibly cannibalize ticket sales, as the tour has already concluded. Those who purchase movie tickets are likely to do so either because they thoroughly enjoyed the live show and want to relive the experience, or because they missed out on getting tickets to the original tour.
In contrast, Swift’s movie, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, has a different release strategy. It is set to arrive in theaters on October 13, ahead of Beyoncé’s film and in the middle of Swift’s ongoing tour.
While Swift is on a brief hiatus from her tour in October, she’ll resume her global trek in November with performances in South America, including countries like Argentina and Brazil. The tour picks back up again in early 2024, with dates scheduled through November 2024, including a second run across America.
Swift’s immense popularity suggests that she isn’t concerned about her concert film affecting ticket sales for her future shows. Many of her upcoming concerts have already sold out or almost sold out, and it’s unlikely that the movie will deter anyone who wanted to attend her live performances from buying a ticket.
Demand for Swift’s global tour remains exceptionally high, and it is nearly impossible for anything to hinder her chances of selling out even the biggest arenas and stadiums.
A similar sentiment likely would have applied to Beyoncé and her film. Both tours were significant pop culture moments, with millions of fans eager to attend concerts, even if they couldn’t secure tickets. The main difference between the two films, apart from their likely box office appeal, is that Beyoncé’s movie is arriving after the tour’s conclusion, whereas Swift is comfortable using hers as a supplement to her ongoing tour, even if that move may appear counterintuitive.
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