Taylor Swift’s ‘Party of a Showgirl’ Rules With $15.8 Million Opening Day, Dwayne Johnson’s ‘Smashing Machine’ Bombs
Taylor Swift’s The Official Release Party of a Show Girl will win the weekend after earning $15.8 million on Friday from 3,702 locations.
It’s been nearly two years since Swift ruled the box office with her concert doc “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” which reached new heights with $96 million opening weekend — the second-highest ever for an October release. “The Official Release Party of a Show Girl” won’t be the same blockbuster force, but it’s a more unique event.
The release, handled by AMC Theatres Distribution, was only announced two weeks ago, with little promotion beyond the Swiftie sphere. It’s set to leave screens after Sunday, with a limited three-day run. Swift, a career-long numerology pusher, fixed ticket prices at $12 — higher than the national average, but lower than those in major markets. That doesn’t extend to premium large format auditoriums like Dolby though, where stubs come with an upcharge.
The Dwayne Johnson sports drama The Smashng Machine is underwhelming, pacing on the low side of its projections for a third-place debut.
A24’s movie earned about $2.6 million across Friday and previews from 3,345 locations. The UFC biopic — headlined by Johnson, turning a new leaf with an R-rated dramatic role — had been positioned as the primary new release for this weekend until “The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” booked theaters.
The muted opening for “Smashing Machine” follows promotional push from Johnson and co-star Emily Blunt, and splashy debut at the Venice Film Fest, where filmmaker Benny Safdie, one of two brothers who helmed A24’s 2019 hit “Uncut Gems,” earned best director. Reviews are positive, though they’ve come down a touch since the strong fest rollout. Audiences seem less keen on the film, with CinemaScore polling lukewarm “B-” grade.
Warner One Battle After Another took in $3.3 million on Friday, down 43% from its opening day figure. It’s a good hold for Anderson and DiCaprio’s contemporary epic, boosted by fantastic word-of-mouth, awards season hype and demand for large-format screenings. “One Battle” kept the majority of Imax venues, even after losing some to new releases.
But at production budget north of $130 million, it still needs many more weeks of staying power to turn a profit in theaters. Domestic total looks to hit $42 million through Sunday.
Falling to fourth place, Universal’s release of Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie is proving a less sustainable draw, adding $1.2 million on Friday and projecting a $4.7 million second-weekend haul, which would mark a sharp 66% fall. Family features typically show stronger legs than that, but the DreamWorks Animation production isn’t spinning much theatrical draw from the streaming popularity of the Netflix series it’s based on. Projected to hit a $21 million domestic total through Sunday, “Gabby’s Dollhouse” is slowing down fast.
The Conjuring: Last Rites is still among the top five, after one month of release. Warner Bros. and New Line horror sequel added $1.2 million on Friday for a 41% drop from its daily gross a week ago. Domestic total is now at $164.9 million.
Disney’s re-release of “Avatar: The Way of Water,” timed ahead of the threequel “Fire and Ash,” paddled to $1.1 million across Friday and previews in 2,140 locations. The reissue got premium large-format shows, sharing with “Smashing Machine,” “One Battle After Another” and Taylor Swift. Back in 2022, the first “Avatar” received imilar fall re-release ahead of “The Way of Water,” landing a $10 million opening. “The Way of Water” might not even nab half of that.
Focus Features booked 865 locations to debut Anemone, a family drama starring Daniel Day-Lewis in his comeback role after 8 years. The drama, directed by the star’s son Ronan Day-Lewis and co-starring Sean Bean, earned $310,000 across Friday and opening day and looks to earn $900,000 in its debut. Reviews were just so-so out of the New York Film Festival premiere last week.
