Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ towers over box office with $21m debut

Hindustan Times :
Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé’ topped the box office this weekend with a stunning $21 million debut in North America, according to AMC Theatres
on December 3.
The concert film, which Beyoncé wrote, directed, and produced, is based on her tour for her Grammy-winning album. It also opened in 94 international markets, earning $6.4 million.
“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,” said Elizabeth Frank, AMC Theatres executive vice president of worldwide programming.
‘Renaissance’ is the first film to open over $20 million on this weekend in 20 years (since The Last Samurai). It did not match the $92.8 million opening of ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ in October, but it still ranks among the best concert film debuts ever.
Both Swift and Beyoncé have collaborated with AMC Theatres for the distribution of their films, reportedly securing a minimum of 50 per cent of ticket sales.
The Renaissance tour, which spanned 39 cities and 56 shows, made over $500 million and attracted over 2.7 million fans. The Eras Tour headlined by Swift, spanning 151 dates, is anticipated to generate approximately $1.4 billion in total revenue.
‘Renaissance’ received rave reviews from critics and audiences, scoring 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes and an A+ CinemaScore. The average ticket price was around $23.32, higher than Swift’s $20.78, according to EntTelligence.