The Making of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Concert Movie
If you somehow haven’t heard, it’s not exactly an ample time to produce and release a movie at the moment. Since May, the 2023 WGA writers’ strike has had movie and TV writers taking to the picket line to protest how studios compensate them in the streaming era, and in July, the SAG-AFTRA actor’s strike kicked off. Despite both strikes currently raging on, Taylor Swift, who is a SAG member herself, found a way to make her upcoming Eras Tour concert movie without causing a stir in the ongoing negotiations.
An Accomplishment Within Demanding Times
If there’s one thing Taylor Swift knows how to do, it’s rewriting the rules. Despite the ongoing writers and actors strikes, she managed to create her highly anticipated Eras Tour concert movie without undermining the negotiations. As an active member of SAG-AFTRA, Swift made sure to fulfill all of the union’s demands to film and produce a movie in the current Hollywood landscape.
Meeting SAG-AFTRA’s Demands
SAG-AFTRA’s National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, revealed that Taylor Swift approached the union with a clear intention to do things the right way under a union contract. It was important to Swift that her documentary concert film, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, adhered to SAG-AFTRA’s stipulations. She made sure crew members received higher salaries and “more generous streaming residuals.” Due to its unique genre, the film obtained an additional pass by SAG-AFTRA to release and promote it.
Taking Matters into Her Own Hands
Instead of relying on major studios like Disney, which she had previously worked with for her 2020 doc and concert film Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions, Swift took charge of her Eras Tour movie. She funded the production herself through her own production company, Taylor Swift Productions. The film reportedly cost her between $10 to $20 million to shoot at her Los Angeles shows at SoFi Stadium. In a profound collaboration, Swift teamed up with AMC Theatres to distribute the film to theaters across North America this October.
A Record-Breaking Success
Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concert film has already generated enormous interest and ticket sales. In just three hours, the film broke Spider-Man: No Way Home’s record for single-day advance ticket sales. Early box office estimates suggest that the movie will make an incredible $100 million in its first weekend. It is expected to become the highest-grossing concert film ever released domestically.
Mark Your Calendars
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour will hit theaters on October 13. Stay tuned for more updates on Taylor Swift’s upcoming releases, including the highly-anticipated re-recorded version of 1989, coming out next month.
