2023 concert film trend continues: Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ is a box office hit

Beyoncé ruled the box office this weekend.

Her concert film, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, opened in first place with $21 million (€19.3 million) in North American ticket sales, according to estimates from AMC Theatres on Sunday (3 December).

Not accounting for inflation, it's the first time a film has opened over $20 million on this weekend in 20 years (since 2003's Tom Cruise action film The Last Samurai).

Beyoncé wrote, directed and produced Renaissance, which is focused on the tour for her Grammy-winning album. It debuted in 2,539 theaters in the US and Canada, as well as 94 international territories, where it earned $6.4 million (€5.8 million) from 2,621 theaters. 

“On behalf of AMC Theatres Distribution and the entire theatrical industry, we thank Beyoncé for bringing this incredible film directly to her fans,” said Elizabeth Frank, AMC Theatres executive vice president of worldwide programming, in a statement. “To see it resonate with fans and with film critics on a weekend that many in the industry typically neglect is a testament to her immense talent, not just as a performer, but as a producer and director."

One of Beyoncé's many jaw-dropping sci-fi-inspired outfits from the Renaissance World Tour Getty© Provided by Euronews (English)

Though Renaissance did not come close to matching the $92.8 million (€85.3 million) debut of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in October, it’s still a very good start for a concert film.

No one expected Renaissance to match The Eras Tour, which is wrapping up its theatrical run soon with over $250 million (€230 million) globally. Prior to Swift, the biggest concert film debuts (titles held by Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber for their 2008 and 2011 films) had not surpassed the unadjusted sum of $32 million.

The 39-city, 56-show “Renaissance” tour, which kicked off in Stockholm, Sweden in May and ended in Kansas City, Missouri in the fall, made over $500 million (€460 million) and attracted over 2.7 million concertgoers. 

Swift’s ongoing “Eras Tour,” with 151 dates, is expected to gross some $1.4 billion (approx. €1.28 billion).

Both Beyoncé and Swift chose to partner with AMC Theatres to distribute their films, as opposed to a traditional studio. Both superstars have been supportive of one another, making splashy appearances at the other’s premieres. Both had previously released films on Netflix (Miss Americana and Homecoming) and they are reported to be receiving at least 50% of ticket sales.

Movie tickets to the show were more expensive than average, around $23.32 versus Swift's $20.78, according to data firm EntTelligence.

The concert film has become the unexpected trend of the fall season...