“The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” an 89-minute promotional film for Taylor Swift’s latest album, grossed $33 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters from Friday to Sunday, topping the box office, per Comscore. Screened in 3,702 theaters, the feature—more a DVD bonus collection than a traditional movie—drew an 88% female and 70% white audience, per PostTrak.
Swifties gave it an A+ in CinemaScore polls, though critics didn’t review it. The film added $13 million overseas; production costs were undisclosed.
Swift’s theatrical return, following 2023’s “The Eras Tour,” outshone Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” (Warner Bros.), which earned $11.1 million in its second weekend, reaching a $42.8 million domestic total. A24’s “The Smashing Machine,” a $40 million sports drama starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, directed by Benny Safdie, took third with a disappointing $6 million.
Despite strong Oscar buzz for Johnson and warm reviews, it scored a B-minus in CinemaScore polls. A24 called it a “creative achievement” with lasting impact.
Swift’s one-weekend-only release, announced with just two weeks’ notice, boosted struggling theaters still recovering from the pandemic’s blow to the industry, which saw its worst summer since 1981 (inflation-adjusted, excluding pandemic years). However, her minimal marketing—relying on social media and news coverage—frustrated some Hollywood executives, who typically spend millions on promotion for wide releases.