Beyoncé’s concert film, “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” made a remarkable entrance at the box office, securing the top spot with $21 million in North American ticket sales.
This achievement defied expectations for the post-Thanksgiving, early December period, which is typically slow for the film industry. In fact, it has been 20 years since a film opened with over $20 million during this weekend (since “The Last Samurai”).
“Renaissance,” written, directed, and produced by Beyoncé, focuses on the tour for her Grammy-winning album. It premiered in 2,539 theaters across the United States and Canada, as well as 94 international territories, where it earned an additional $6.4 million from 2,621 theaters.
Elizabeth Frank, AMC Theatres’ Executive Vice President of Worldwide Programming, expressed gratitude to Beyoncé for bringing this incredible film directly to her fans. She acknowledged the film’s resonance with both fans and film critics, particularly during a weekend that is typically overlooked by the industry.
While “Renaissance” did not reach the $92.8 million debut of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” in October, it still marks a strong start for a concert film. It was not expected to match the success of “The Eras Tour,” which is concluding its theatrical run with over $250 million globally. Prior to Swift, the highest-grossing concert film debuts had not surpassed $32 million.
Overall, it was a slow weekend at the box office, with films in the top 10 projected to gross only $85 million in total. However, AMC Theatres recognized the opportunity for “Renaissance” to shine during this traditionally quieter period, as it faced minimal competition from other types of movies.
Source: PhilNews24 | December 5, 2023
