Taylor Swift’s ‘Release Party of a Showgirl’ Opens to $15.8M, While Dwayne Johnson’s ‘The Smashing Machine’ Falters in Third at the Box Office

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Oct 4

Taylor Swift once again proves she’s her own box office era — turning a three-day event into a full-blown cultural takeover, while Dwayne Johnson’s dramatic reinvention struggles to find its footing.

The October box office kicked off with a clash between a global pop icon and a Hollywood heavyweight — and it wasn’t much of a fight. Taylor Swift’s The Official Release Party of a Showgirl took center stage this weekend, earning $15.8 million on Friday alone and pacing toward a $25–$30 million weekend debut. Meanwhile, Dwayne Johnson’s The Smashing Machine, despite its festival buzz and dramatic reinvention for the star, is underperforming in third place.

For Swift, the numbers are impressive — especially for an event film announced only two weeks ago. Playing in 3,702 theaters and limited to a three-day run, The Official Release Party of a Showgirl is part concert film, part music documentary, and part fan experience, promoting her 12th studio album. Tickets, priced at Swift’s signature $12, have drawn in fans at every level, with AMC Theatres Distribution reporting near sellouts in major cities. The film’s A+ CinemaScore confirms what Swifties already knew: this was less a moviegoing experience than a global happening.

Two years after The Eras Tour concert film broke records with a $96 million opening weekend — still the second-highest October debut in history — Release Party of a Showgirl reaffirms Swift’s unmatched draw. Even without the same scale or marketing machine, she’s managed to turn a brief, self-curated engagement into another major theatrical moment. By Monday morning, she’ll likely top the domestic charts once again.

A24’s The Smashing Machine, on the other hand, is showing early signs of fatigue. After earning just $2.6 million across Friday and previews from 3,345 locations, the $50 million biopic may struggle to meet even modest expectations. Directed by Benny Safdie, the MMA drama casts Dwayne Johnson against type as real-life UFC fighter Mark Kerr — a performance that’s earned praise but not momentum. Despite a Venice Film Festival win for Safdie and strong critical notices, the film’s audience reception has been mixed, scoring only a “B-” CinemaScore. It’s a rare stumble for Johnson and a reminder that dramatic reinventions don’t always translate into box office success.

Meanwhile, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another continued its strong theatrical run, adding $3.3 million on Friday for a domestic total projected to hit $42 million through Sunday. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the comedy epic has maintained a strong hold thanks to awards buzz, critical acclaim, and robust word-of-mouth — keeping much of its IMAX footprint despite competition from Swift’s limited engagement.

Universal’s Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie continues to slow down, falling 66% in its second weekend to $4.7 million, while The Conjuring: Last Rites remains a steady performer, adding $1.2 million Friday for a domestic total nearing $165 million — an impressive feat nearly a month after release.

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Elsewhere, Disney reissued Avatar: The Way of Water ahead of next year’s threequel Fire and Ash, earning $1.1 million from 2,140 theaters. It’s a modest return compared to the 2022 re-release of the original Avatar, but the move keeps James Cameron’s aquatic epic visible before the next installment arrives.

Further down the chart, IFC’s Good Boy — a supernatural horror film told entirely from the perspective of a dog — opened to $980,000, marking a respectable debut for a niche genre entry. And in a more understated arrival, Ronan Day-Lewis’s Anemone — starring his father Daniel Day-Lewis alongside Sean Bean and Rosanna Arquette — premiered in 865 theaters to $310,000. The film, which bowed at NYFF last week, is expected to close the weekend near $900,000 amid mixed reviews and cautious curiosity surrounding Day-Lewis’s return to the screen after eight years.

This weekend’s box office story reflects a defining truth of 2025’s film economy: even in an increasingly uncertain market, event cinema and auteur-driven prestige titles still draw attention — but only one of them consistently fills seats, and her name is Taylor Swift.