Taylor Swift’s Big Weekend
This weekend was all about Taylor Swift, with her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, taking over the cultural conversation and the charts. Her movie event, "Taylor Swift: A Showgirl’s Official Release Party," also dominated the box office, leaving behind two of Hollywood’s biggest hits: Leonardo DiCaprio’s "One Battle After Another" and Dwayne Johnson’s "The Smashing Machine."
Box Office Success
Swift’s 89-minute theatrical experiment grossed $34 million domestically, surpassing "One Battle" which grossed $11 million and "Smashing Machine" which grossed a mere $6 million. This is even more impressive considering Swift’s release had only a two-week lead time and an advertising campaign that was primarily pushed through her social media accounts.
Upcoming Directorial Debut
Swift announced in 2022 that she would be writing and directing her first feature film in collaboration with Searchlight Pictures, a prestigious film label behind "Black Swan" and "The Favorite." Although plot details have been sparse, Swift has hinted that her script will contain elements of drama and comedy.
Update on the Project
Searchlight announced the project with a full press release, calling Swift "an artist and storyteller of a generation." However, the project was put on hold when Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour was announced and later extended. Earlier this year, it was reported that Swift had hired screenwriter Alice Birch to do a draft of the script, but sources denied that anyone other than Swift would take on the script.
Current Status
According to a source familiar with the project, Searchlight is still waiting for Swift to provide updates. A representative for Swift and a spokesperson for Searchlight Pictures did not immediately comment on the matter. Despite this, there is hope that Swift will turn her attention to her film in the coming months.
No Tour for New Album
Swift recently made the global talk show rounds to promote "The Life of a Showgirl" and announced that she would not be supporting the new album with a tour. She expressed her exhaustion with touring and her desire to do it "really, really well again" if she were to do it.
A Boon for Disney
A Swift film would be a huge boon for Disney’s theatrical business. Her 2023 concert film based on the Eras Tour grossed $260 million in theaters, and Disney secured the worldwide streaming rights to Disney+ for a reported $75 million.
No Retirement Plans
For those speculating that Swift might retire after her marriage to Travis Kelce, don’t expect to see her slowing down anytime soon. Swift described suggestions that she would retire after becoming Mrs. Kelce as "shockingly offensive" and expressed her love for creating art and music, which is supported by her partner.
