‘Exorcist: Believer’ Moves a Week Earlier to Avoid Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour Film
Well, “Exorswift” was a short-lived phenomenon; the nickname for the dual release of “The Exorcist: Believer” and Taylor Swift’s concert film is no more.
That’s because Universal and Blumhouse’s spooky sequel “The Exorcist: Believer” has moved up its release date — losing its deliberately timed debut on Friday the 13 (of October) to instead land in theaters on Oct. 6 — in order to avoid the premiere of the much-hyped Eras Tour movie. Swift announced on Thursday that her concert film was headed to theaters on Oct. 13, which is her lucky number.
More from Variety
'Taylor Swift: Eras Tour' Film Earns Record-Breaking $26 Million in Presales at AMC Theatres
Taylor Swift Concert Film Will Bring Eras Tour to America's Movie Theaters in October
Taylor Swift Becomes First Female Artist to Hit 100 Million Monthly Spotify Listeners
“Look what you made me do. The Exorcist: Believer moves to 10/6/23,” Jason Blum, the producer of “Exorcist,” wrote on Twitter, evoking Swift’s lyrics. “#TaylorWins.”
Look what you made me do.
The Exorcist: Believer moves to 10/6/23#TaylorWins— Jason Blum (@jason_blum) August 31, 2023
“Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” concert film, a rendering of her record-breaking stadium tour, will play at least four showtimes per day on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at every AMC theater location in the United States. It will also play on Cinemark and Regal screens in North America, with other theaters and chains expected to be added.
On the AMC ticketing site, the runtime is listed as 2 hours and 45 minutes, which is slightly shorter than Swift’s concert length of 3 hours and 15 minutes. Ticket prices are, in true Swift fashion, numerically loaded: $19.89 for adults, $13.13 for children and seniors, on standard screens. Imax and Dolby tickets will cost more.
There’s reason to believe “The Eras Tour” film could turn into a theatrical sensation. Swift is encouraging her fans to treat the big screen release as a celebratory event, one that is worthy of themed outfits and friendship bracelet swaps, which are custom at her concerts.
“The Exorcist: Believer” sees the return of Ellen Burstyn as Chris MacNeil, an actor who has been forever altered by a paranormal event that plagued her daughter Regan five decades ago. The story picks up as two local girls escape into the woods, only to return three days later with no memory of the episode. This unleashes a horrific chain of events, forcing the father of one of the girls to seek out MacNeil, the only living person who has experienced anything like it before.
“Halloween” director David Gordon Green is behind the new “Exorcist,” which takes place 50 years after the original. It’s the first of a planned trilogy, with a sequel already set for April 18, 2025.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.