Heads are spinning as Taylor is about to make “Swift” work of the new “Exorcist” sequel to steal the box-office crown.
Any other year, Friday the 13th would have been the perfect pre-Halloween release date for “The Exorcist: Believer,” but the 50th anniversary horror flick was too scared to compete against one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. Rather than promote an #ExorSwift dual release like #Barbenheimer, Blumhouse producer Jason Blum moved his movie up a week, waving the surrender flag on social media with the humbling hashtag #TaylorWins.
That’s probably a smart move because Swift’s film will not only win this weekend’s box office, I won’t be surprised if it cracks the year’s Top 5 of “Oppenheimer,” “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Barbie.” The advanced buzz is just as big. In fact, the concert flick appeals to a similar demographic as “Barbie,” the perfect date night for die-hard fans and their significant others.
The D.C. area is especially excited because the first leg of Swift’s in-person tour didn’t include any dates in the D.C. region, not to mention the Ticketmaster price-gouging that plagued fans in other cities hoping to see the icon.
Rather than sulk, Swift created her own path — as she always does — bypassing the traditional Hollywood studio system to strike an unprecedented distribution deal directly with AMC Theatres and Cinemark Theatres. This might wind up being the film’s most lasting legacy, inspiring other musicians to try a similar workaround.
Directed by Sam Wrench, whose camera crew filmed in August during three shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, “The Eras Tour” chronicles Swift’s prolific 10-album career from 2006 to the present. The songs are grouped into different eras based on their respective albums, though they don’t necessarily go in order of release. Bring your dancing shoes to bust some moves in the movie-theater aisles. Here’s what songs you can expect to hear:
Full Movie Setlist
The ‘Lover’ Era
- Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince (excerpt)
- Cruel Summer
- The Man
- You Need to Calm Down
- Lover
The ‘Fearless’ Era
- Fearless
- You Belong With Me
- Love Story
The ‘Evermore’ Era
- Willow
- Marjorie
- Champagne Problems
- Tolerate It
The ‘Reputation’ Era
- … Ready for It?
- Delicate
- Don’t Blame Me
- Look What You Made Me Do
The ‘Speak Now’ Era
- Enchanted
The ‘Red’ Era
- 22
- We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
- I Knew You Were Trouble
- All Too Well (10 Minute Version)
The ‘Folklore’ Era
- The 1
- Betty
- The Last Great American Dynasty
- August
- Illicit Affairs
- My Tears Ricochet
The ‘1989’ Era
- Style
- Blank Space
- Shake It Off
- Wildest Dreams
- Bad Blood
Surprise Acoustic Set
- Our Song (on guitar)
- You’re on Your Own, Kid (on piano)
The ‘Midnights’ Era
- Lavender Haze
- Anti-Hero
- Midnight Rain
- Vigilante Sh*t
- Bejeweled
- Mastermind
- Karma
Hardcore fans who attended the live tour noted that Swift cut several songs from the film version: “The Archer,” “No Body, No Crime,” “Long Live,” “Cardigan” and “Wildest Dreams.” Alas, Swift has way too many hits to choose from, so it’s impossible to play them all, even in a nearly three-hour film. Still, I do have one minor complaint.
Where’s her entire first album? Surely, “Taylor Swift” (2006) deserved its own “era” in the film with coming-of-age songs that put her on the map like “Tim McGraw,” “Picture to Burn,” “Teardrops on My Guitar” and “Should’ve Said No.” Instead, her debut is only represented by “Our Song” in a surprise-song interlude. This is the era that I first saw her perform live as an opening act, so if you don’t know her country stuff, then you’re not a true Swiftie.
Either way, one thing is clear: Swift has gotten the last laugh after Kanye West’s infamous interruption at the 2009 VMAs: “I’m’a let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!” Later that night, Beyoncé invited Swift back onstage to finish her acceptance speech. That week, a hot mic captured President Obama’s reaction: “The young lady seems like a perfectly nice person, she’s getting her award, what’s he doing? He’s a jackass.”
Fourteen years later, Kanye has drifted from relevancy to become something of a laughing stock, while Taylor is paving the way for Beyoncé to release her own “Renaissance” concert film in movie theaters this December.
In a year where Hollywood strikes postponed the release of popular television series and major movie franchises, Taylor has swooped in to save the film industry with her own style of a blockbuster. In the meantime, last week’s NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” saw a 53% spike in viewership over the first three weeks of the season, including two-million more women, due to Swift’s rumored romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
She’s long overdue for her own Super Bowl halftime performance. Calling it now: Usher in 2024, Swift in 2025.
Let the Taylor Swift Economic Recovery Plan begin!
