The Chinese release could significantly boost the pop star’s already impressive $250 million global box office haul.
The movie Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour is heading to China, the last major market the pop star has yet to conquer in 2023.
The hit concert film, which has already grossed more than $250 million worldwide, will be widely released in theaters in China on December 31, New Year’s Eve. The announcement was made in Beijing on Friday at 1:13 p.m. (or 1:13 p.m.), a reference to Swift’s much-loved lucky number.
The Taylor Swift phenomenon in China
As is the case virtually everywhere, Swift is today among the most popular contemporary American music artists in China. However, how much could she earn? The Eras Tour in the country is a topic of debate among Beijing industry experts and analysts. The film was released on streaming platforms in the United States and other markets on December 13 (Swift’s birthday), so piracy could affect potential ticket sales for Chinese cinema. But Swift’s popularity in the country is such that a considerable numberalthough unknown, of fans will probably make an event with its theatrical release, just like the Swifties who had already attended the Eras Tour concerts in the United States did.
Most major Western stars are affectionately known to Chinese fans by local nicknames. Swift is affectionately known as “Meimei,” a play on words that references both the Chinese word for “unlucky” (a reference to her initial entanglement with Kanye West at the MTV Video Music Awards and occasional chart disappointments) as “beautiful.” “Chinese fans are therefore “Meimeis” rather than Swifties.
Alibaba Pictures, the entertainment subsidiary of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, acquired the rights to the concert film through Trafalgar Releasing. The Chinese company releases the film in collaboration with the state distributor China Film Group.
Source: Ambito
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
