NEW YORK (AP) — In a film match-up nearly as unlikely as “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” Martin Scorsese took on Taylor Swift in cinemas over the weekend. And whereas the field workplace belonged for a second time to “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” obtained off to a robust begin in Apple Studios’ first main theatrical gambit.

After a record-breaking opening weekend of $92.8 million, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” took in an estimated $31 million over the weekend from 3,855 places, in response to AMC Theaters. In an unconventional deal, the theater chain is distributing Swift’s live performance movie, and enjoying it solely Thursdays by way of Sundays.

Most Swifties rushed to see the movie on opening weekend, when a big % of gross sales had been pushed by advance ticketing. Gross sales dropped a steep 67% in its second weekend, doubtlessly signifying that “The Eras Tour” was predominantly an opening-weekend phenomenon.

However “The Eras Tour” has nonetheless proved to be a film occasion not like every other. Inside days, it turned the best grossing live performance movie ever in North America, not accounting for inflation. It’s rapidly gathered $129.8 million domestically.

Extra was driving on “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a historic crime drama a couple of string of murders towards the Osage nation within the early Nineteen Twenties. The movie, which value at the very least $200 million to make, is the most important manufacturing but from Apple Studios. The streamer partnered with Paramount Photos to launch Scorsese’s adaptation of David Grann’s bestseller in 3,628 theaters, with plans to later stream it on a not-yet-announced date on Apple TV+.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” debuted with $23 million, marking the third finest opening for the 80-year-old Scorsese, following “Shutter Island” ($41 million in 2010) and “The Departed” ($26.9 million in 2006). Although Scorsese’s newest opus, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro, may have a tough highway to reaching profitability, it’s a profitable launch for a 206-minute-long adult-skewing drama – a sort of film that, outdoors “Oppenheimer,” has struggled mightily on the field workplace lately.

And “Killers of the Flower Moon,” with rave critiques, an “A-” CinemaScore from audiences and the backing of a sturdy Oscar marketing campaign, ought to proceed to play nicely over the lengthy haul. It added $21 million abroad.

“Killer of the Flower Moon” additionally marks one of the best wide-release debut for a movie from a streaming firm. Whereas Netflix (which backed Scorsese’s final narrative function, “The Irishman,” in 2019) has charted a largely restricted method to theatrical launch, Apple and Amazon, which final yr closed its buy of MGM, have pursued extra expansive theatrical methods.

Earlier this yr, Apple mentioned it plans to spend $1 billion a yr making motion pictures that can have theatrical releases earlier than reaching its streaming service. Apple can also be behind Ridley Scott’s upcoming “Napoleon,” with Joaquin Phoenix, which Sony Photos will distribute Nov. 22; and has partnered with Common for Matthew Vaughn’s “Argylle,” due out Feb. 2.

Paramount had initially signed on to provide and distribute “Killers of the Flower Moon,” however transitioned into the cope with Apple when prices of undertaking — shot through the pandemic — rose.

“If ‘flexibility’ is the brand new mantra of the theatrical film enterprise, then this can be a important success — it establishes a viable possibility for the businesses,” David A. Gross, who runs the film consulting agency Franchise Leisure Analysis, mentioned of the “Killers of the Flower Moon” launch.

As dissimilar as “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” are, they’re alike of their prolonged run instances. A double function of the weekend’s prime two motion pictures would have taken six hours and 14 minutes, not counting advertisements and trailers.

“Killers of the Flower Moon” additionally reeled in additional younger moviegoers than one might need anticipated. Paramount mentioned 44% of ticket patrons had been below the age of 30.

“Exorcist: The Believer,” the horror sequel directed by David Gordon Inexperienced, got here in a distant third with $5.6 million in its third weekend of launch. The Common, Blumhouse movie has grossed $54.2 million domestically.

“PAW Patrol: The Mighty Film” got here in at No. 4 with $4.5 million in its fourth weekend. The fifth spot went to the rerelease of Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Earlier than Christmas,” which collected $4.1 million 30 years after it first landed in theaters.

Estimated ticket gross sales for Friday by way of Sunday are for U.S. and Canadian theaters, in response to Comscore. Remaining home figures might be launched Monday.

1. “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” $31 million.

2. “Killers of the Flower Moon,” $23 million.

3. “The Exorcist: Believer,” $5.6 million.

4. “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Film,” $4.5 million.

5. “The Nightmare Earlier than Christmas,” $4.1 million.

6. “Noticed X,” $3.6 million.

7. “The Creator,” $2.6 million.

8. “Leo: Bloody Candy,” $2.1 million.

9. “A Haunting in Venice,” $1.1 million.

10. “The Blind,” $1 million.

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This story has been up to date to right the weekend gross of “Exorcist: The Believer” to $5.6 million and the weekend gross of “Paw Patrol: The Mighty Film” to $4.5 million.