Taylor Swift's 'The Official Release Party of a Show Girl' debuts at No.
1 with $33 million
[October 06, 2025]
By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — This weekend’s box office belonged to two undeniable
draws: Taylor Swift and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
It might have looked like a heavyweight matchup, but Swift’s devoted
fanbase once again proved unstoppable with her film “The Official
Release Party of a Show Girl,” which debuted at No. 1 with $33 million
in North America, according to Sunday estimates from Comscore. The AMC
Theatres release -- announced only two weeks ago with minimal promotion
-- served as a companion piece to Swift’s 12th studio album, packaging
music videos, behind-the-scenes footage and profanity-free lyric visuals
into an 89-minute experience.
The film played at all 540 AMC theaters in the U.S. for three days,
ending after Sunday. AMC aired the show in Mexico, Canada and across
Europe.
“For Taylor Swift to harness the power of the movie theater to build her
brand, create excitement among her fans, and create a communal
experience outside of her touring, outside of her live performances, is
really a stroke of genius,” said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media
analyst for Comscore. “To be able to add another $33 million to the box
office bottom line is much welcomed by theater owners who were looking
for content for their big screens.”
It comes nearly two years after her “The Eras Tour” concert film opened
to $96 million, with Swift extending her streak of box office dominance.
Meanwhile, Johnson saw a more modest showing. His A24 drama “The
Smashing Machine,” co-starring Emily Blunt, opened in third place with a
mere $6 million, trailing Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After
Another,” which earned $11.1 million and has now accumulated $107
million globally.
Despite strong reviews and a 15-minute standing ovation at the Venice
Film Festival -- where Johnson drew praise for portraying MMA legend
Mark Kerr — the film marked one of the lowest openings as a lead.
“When major movie stars branch out into more indie roles, like Tom
Cruise in ”Magnolia," they're trying to redefine their career,"
Dergarabedian said. “They can straddle both universes, so Dwayne Johnson
and all the acclaim he’s getting. That prestige factor. That’s the
currency. He knows box office. He studies this and he's a business
person. But also realize that when you go outside of your comfort zone,
it puts him in a certain light. ... Dwayne Johnson is redefining what he
can do.”
Beyond the two marquee names, the rest of the weekend lineup offered a
wide mix ranging from animated adventures to horror sequels and
international releases.
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This image released by A24 shows Dwayne Johnson in a scene from "The
Smashing Machine." (A24 via AP)
 DreamWorks Animation’s family
adventure “Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie” debuted in fourth place
with $5.2 million, expanding the popular Netflix preschool series to
the big screen. Warner Bros.’ supernatural thriller “The Conjuring:
Last Rites” followed in fifth with $4 million, pulling in $458.2
million globally.
In sixth was “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba –
Infinity Castle,” the latest entry in the hit Japanese anime saga,
earning $3.5 million. A re-release of “Avatar: The Way of Water”
made a splash in seventh with $3.1 million — a solid return for the
2022 blockbuster ahead of “Avatar: The Fire and Ash” on Dec. 19.
Rounding out the top 10 were “The Strangers: Chapter 2” with $2.8
million, the IFC dark comedy “Good Boy” with $2.2 million, marking
the company's second-best opening weekend ever. “Kantara: A Legend –
Chapter 1” with $1.7 million.
Dergarabedian said he's looking forward to October films such as
“Tron: Ares,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and “Roofman," starring
Channing Tatum.
Top 10 movies by domestic box office
With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors
in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and
Canadian theaters, according to Comscore:
1. “The Official Release Party of a Show Girl,” $33 million
2. “One Battle After Another,” $11.1 million.
3. “The Smashing Machine,” $6 million.
4. “Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie,” $5.2 million.
5. “The Conjuring: Last Rites,” $4 million.
6. ““Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle,” $3.5
million.
7. “Avatar: The Way of Water,” $3.1 million.
8. “The Strangers: Chapter 2,” $2.8 million.
9. ““Good Boy,” $2.2 million.
10. “Kantara A Legend: Chapter 1,” $1.7 million.
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