The savvy businesswoman (Taylor’s version)

Early screenings for Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour concert film began showing in theaters across the country yesterday, kicking off its opening weekend.

And while Swift and her legion of jean jacket-decked-out fans are stoked about the film’s release, there’s one group more upset than Grumpy from Snow White – major Hollywood studios. That’s because Swift and her team decided to finance the film’s production themselves and partner with AMC Theaters for distribution, increasing their earnings and cutting out the role major studios would typically play in a project.

This move by Swift and her team is uncommon, since most projects rely on the traditional Hollywood studio system for money and eyeballs. But most projects aren’t led by someone with Swift’s pull – which, if manifested into a physical form could tow more airplanes than Mr. Incredible.

Case in point:

• Once announced, The Eras Tour concert film took less than 24 hours to shatter AMC’s US record for the highest ticket-sales revenue during a single day.
• The film has already collected $100 million in advance ticket sales, and is projected to earn as much as $150 million in its opening weekend (~5x the previous record opening for a concert film).

👀 Looking ahead… Major Hollywood studios and streamers have owned a near monopoly on film financing and distribution for decades – but the success of The Eras Tour concert film could tempt more projects to also bypass the traditional studio route.