Scorsese Places Strong Second

In a movie matchup almost as unlikely as Barbie and Oppenheimer, Martin Scorsese took on Taylor Swift in cinemas over the weekend. And while the box office belonged for a second time to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon got off to a strong start in Apple Studios' first major 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 locations, according to AMC Theaters. In an unconventional deal, the theater chain is distributing Swift's concert film, and playing it only Thursdays through Sundays, the AP reports.

Ticket sales dropped 67% in the second weekend for The Eras Tour, it's already the highest-grossing concert film ever in North America, not accounting for inflation. It's quickly accumulated $129.8 million domestically. More was riding on Killers of the Flower Moon, a historical crime drama about a string of murders against the Osage nation in the early 1920s. The film, which cost at least $200 million to make, is the largest production yet from Apple Studios. The streamer partnered with Paramount Pictures to release 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, which received rave reviews, debuted with $23 million, marking the third-best opening for Scorsese, following "Shutter Island" ($41 million in 2010) and The Departed ($26.9 million in 2006).

Below are estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released 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 Movie, $4.5 million.
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas, $4.1 million.
6. Saw X, $3.6 million.
7. The Creator, $2.6 million.
8. Leo: Bloody Sweet, $2.1 million.
9. A Haunting in Venice, $1.1 million.
10. The Blind, $1 million.

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