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Beyoncé's directorial debut, "Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé," dominated the box office this weekend, raking in an impressive $21 million in North American ticket sales, as reported by AMC Theatres. In a post-Thanksgiving, early December market known for sluggishness, "Renaissance" defied expectations, marking the first time a film has surpassed $20 million on this weekend in two decades.
The global debut of Queen Bey's concert movie reached $27.4 million, including $6.4 million from 2,621 overseas cinemas. Despite falling slightly below offshore projections, the film maintains a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from both audiences and critics.
In the realm of IMAX, "Renaissance" secured the second-largest global opening weekend for a musical act film, generating $5.1 million globally, with $500,000 from 125 overseas screens. France led the international releases with $1.4 million, followed by the UK at $1.2 million and Australia at $400,000. Upcoming releases include Brazil, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Thailand, and more.Great news! Along with Taylor’s movie, AMC’s new Renaissance: A Film by Beyonce opened #1 at the domestic box office this weekend. 1st time in history two concert films were #1 in the same year. Beyonce’s triumph awarded A+ on CinemaScore, 100/100 on RT pic.twitter.com/c1qP2yAiKB
— Adam Aron (@CEOAdam) December 4, 2023
Beyoncé, the 32-time Grammy winner, wrote, directed, and produced "Renaissance," providing an intimate look into the tour for her Grammy-winning album. The film debuted in 2,539 theaters in the U.S. and Canada, along with 94 international territories.
While "Renaissance" did not reach the monumental debut of Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour" in October, industry analysts consider it a solid start for a concert film. The "Renaissance" tour, spanning 39 cities and 56 shows, grossed over $500 million and attracted more than 2.7 million concertgoers.
Beyoncé's strategic release in a traditionally slow box office period paid off, as the film faced unique competition, providing an excellent opportunity for success. Despite the inevitable comparisons to Taylor Swift's film, both artists, supportive of each other, opted for AMC Theatres over traditional studios for distribution, each earning at least 50% of ticket sales.
Critics and audiences lauded "Renaissance," achieving a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes and an A+ CinemaScore. With a slightly older audience estimated around 900,000, this concert film's success, coupled with Taylor Swift's earlier triumph, marks an unprecedented year for the genre..@Forbes reveals that an #Oscar nomination for “#RENAISSANCE: A Film by Beyoncé” could happen because it is a documentary film and not just the show itself, but it may take weeks to know if the film is eligible ✨
— Beyoncé Press. 🪩 (@beyoncepress) October 31, 2023
“The immediate question is whether Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé… pic.twitter.com/dWbzQQ9MEC
Industry analyst Paul Dergarabedian noted, "To have two concert films topping the chart in a single year is pretty unprecedented," emphasizing that while the films share a genre, they are distinct in circumstances and approach.
In a weekend where the box office saw a total expected gross of only $85 million, "Renaissance" stood out as a testament to Beyoncé's enduring popularity and cinematic prowess.
In the midst of this success, Lionsgate's "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" claimed second place with an estimated $14.5 million, and "Godzilla Minus One" secured third place with $11 million, marking the biggest opening for a foreign film in the U.S. this year.
