Elvis Is Still King — Of The Box Office — As 'epic' Earns $14 Million In A Win For Music Docs

Nearly 60 years aft leaving his movie prima career behind, Elvis Presley is erstwhile again a deed astatine nan container office.

After Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 “Elvis” and Sofia Coppola’s 2023 “Priscilla,” nan King of Rock ‘n’ Roll cracked nan container office’s apical 10 highest-grossing films for nan 3rd clip successful little than 4 years.

Luhrmann’s hybrid performance film/documentary, “EPiC: Elvis Presley successful Concert,” came successful 5th spot domestically and earned a full of $8.5 cardinal globally during its first play successful wide release. So far, nan screenings person earned astir $14 cardinal cumulatively.

The movie, shown successful much than 5,000 locations, classed beneath “Scream 7” and “Goat,” which topped nan container office. “EPiC” marks nan third-biggest opening for a documentary of each time, up of “One Direction: This Is Us” (2013) and “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” (2009).

The beardown debut is nan latest motion that music-themed documentaries and performance films proceed to beryllium a box-office tie for some dedicated fans and regular moviegoers, moreover arsenic studios attraction connected processing biopics of celebrated musicians specified arsenic the Beatles and Michael Jackson.

“What we’re seeing pinch nan advent of life being lived truthful overmuch online and staring astatine phones is that young group peculiarly crave to participate successful groups, to spell retired to an event, and euphony films are an arena successful themselves,” Luhrmann said successful a statement. “What’s truthful gratifying is to spot young audiences, moreover immoderate who don’t cognize who Elvis is, who are clapping, singing and dancing on astatine nan screen. I deliberation we’re going to spot a batch much arena euphony cinema successful nan future.”

The cinematic tribute to nan King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was made wholly of never-before-seen footage.

(Neon)

Luhrmann’s newest cinematic tribute to nan Memphis-raised stone prima was made wholly of never-before-seen footage. The “Romeo and Juliet” director’s investigation squad stumbled upon this unseen footage successful an underground brackish excavation successful Kansas while making nan 2022 biopic starring Austin Butler. “EPiC” follows Presley arsenic he returns to unrecorded euphony astatine his Las Vegas residency aft his stint arsenic an actor.

The hr and 36-minute feature, which reportedly costs astir $10 cardinal to make, began its constricted merchandise connected Feb. 20, opening astatine 325 locations. It besides had a one-week stint successful IMAX, making it nan highest-grossing week ever for a documentary successful IMAX.

Elissa Federoff, nan main distribution serviceman astatine Neon, who’s handling nan film’s home distribution, said that audiences are connecting to “EPiC” because it “offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spot Elvis astatine his peak.”

“The big-screen situation takes it to nan adjacent level. Audiences of each ages tin immerse themselves successful these unthinkable performances, and doing truthful pinch friends, family, and a afloat theatre makes it unforgettable,” Federoff added. “That’s nan powerfulness of euphony films — they toggle shape theaters into spaces for extraordinary, shared experiences.”

“EPiC” is nan latest summation to music’s ever-growing footprint successful movie theaters. Last year, screenings for respective euphony documentaries and performance films were capable to rake successful a mates of cardinal dollars astatine nan container office. “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley” earned astir $1.5 million, “Pink Floyd: Live astatine Pompeii” made $6.4 cardinal and Sony Pictures’ “Becoming Led Zeppelin” raked successful much than $14.6 cardinal globally, according to Box Office Mojo’s worldwide data.

Marc Allenby, main executive of Trafalgar Releasing, a U.K. institution focused connected distributing euphony movies, says Taylor Swift has helped to accelerate nan fame of euphony cinema.

In 2023, nan vocalist put nan performance movie “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” successful theaters, earning complete $260 cardinal worldwide. (Trafalgar helped administer nan movie to audiences extracurricular nan U.S. and Canada.) Last year, Swift besides hosted screenings for her latest album, “Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl,” which grossed $50 cardinal globally.

Trafalgar has expanded its slate to support up pinch demand. Last year, nan institution released 39 movies, up from 27 successful 2019. Another documentary from Trafalgar — “Twenty One Pilots: More Than We Ever Imagined” — came successful 4th past weekend, pinch $3.7 cardinal successful summons sales.

“EPiC” follows Presley arsenic he returns to unrecorded euphony astatine his Las Vegas residency aft his stint arsenic an actor.

(Neon)

“Live euphony is evergreen spot ... arsenic agelong arsenic there’s a euphony industry, past there’s an arena cinema manufacture to support it,” Allenby said. “There’s a benignant of greater liking successful nan imaginable of what bringing caller audiences to nan cinema tin do, some successful position of your gross and audience. But expanding what a cinema is — it is an intermezo hub aliases taste hub.”

At 1 of nan first IMAX showings past week, fans successful reclining seats danced and audibly shouted wrong AMC’s Century City theater, arsenic Presley appeared arsenic clear and arsenic sweaty arsenic ever.

“It’s for illustration a unrecorded concert. We went to nan Prince day [“Prince: Sign o’ nan Times” returned to theaters successful August] and everyone was singing too. I for illustration sharing successful a communal space,” said moviegoer Rachel Bailit. “It’s very alive. It’s for illustration going to a stadium.”

Her friend John Lacy, added, “It is much affordable than a concert. I for illustration to beryllium successful a unrecorded venue. But that opportunity doesn’t travel up excessively often. There’s thing for illustration nan unrecorded experience. But, there’s a batch to beryllium said for sitting successful a theatre pinch people.”

Amanda Walencewicz, different attendee, said she’ll spell spot immoderate performance movie successful theaters, arsenic they’re her favourite movie genre. She says euphony movies besides origin her listening habits to shift.

“When you spell to spot a euphony biopic aliases a documentary, you hide really galore hits immoderate artists have. It makes you want to perceive to their euphony successful nan car connected nan measurement home,” Walencewicz said.

The relationship betwixt listening to an artist’s euphony aft seeing a documentary aliases a performance movie isn’t exclusive to nan cinema experience. When documentaries connected streaming platforms summation traction, artists besides often spot a spike successful listens.

When “Becoming Led Zeppelin” deed Netflix past year, it became nan most-watched euphony documentary crossed each streaming platforms. The documentary drove nan British stone band’s world streams to their highest ever play highest astatine nan time, hitting 40.4 million. Led Zeppelin’s streams besides maintained a caller baseline mean of 38 cardinal per week done January, which is 16% complete nan erstwhile period.

Over nan people of its constricted merchandise and 1 week successful Imax, location was a “slight uptick” successful listens for Presley’s catalog some nationally and successful nan L.A. area, per euphony information expert Luminate.

And Luhrmann isn’t done yet pinch nan communicative of America’s astir celebrated stone ‘n’ rotation star. As he land nan screening of “EPiC” astatine nan Las Vegas Sphere, nan Aussie besides plans to accommodate Presley’s life into a shape production, akin to what he did pinch “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.”