Taylor Swift 'Eras' tour is coming to theaters. Where to watch in Memphis

Following in the arched footsteps of Barbie, Taylor Swift is set to save the U.S. box office with "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour," a three-hour concert movie that arrives Oct. 13.

The movie will be at 10 Memphis-area cinemas, including the outdoor one, the Summer Quartet Drive-In, and the IMAX auditorium at the Paradiso. Tickets are now on sale at malco.com.

Unlike most movies, which play every day of the week after they open until audiences lose interest, "The Eras Tour" will play weekends only, more or less, for four consecutive weekends, beginning with a stretch that runs Oct. 13-15. The next three "weekends" will include Thursday shows.

However, the movie will be booked on one special additional weekday: Halloween (Oct. 31), which is a Tuesday.

Swift announced "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Concert Film" via an Instagram post Thursday morning.

"The Eras Tour has been the most meaningful, electric experience of my life so far and I’m overjoyed to tell you that it’ll be coming to the big screen soon," she wrote. "Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing encouraged."

Since kicking off in Glendale, Arizona, the "Eras" tour has become a cultural phenomenon. Earlier this month the pop star announced the tour would be extended as more North American dates were added for 2024.

The Swift movie was kept largely under wraps, with even movie theater owners unaware until this week that it would be available in October. But the announcement was good news in a year that has had some disappointments ("The Flash") but also some major, somewhat surprising successes ("Oppenheimer").

The biggest movie of the year, of course, was Greta Gerwig's "Barbie," which has earned more than $1 billion at the global box office. Movie industry prognosticators believe "The Eras Tour" may capture much of the same audience and provide some woman-power continuity. According to Variety, the Swift film "is going to be a huge boon to movie theaters this fall, especially after the vacancy left by 'Dune: Part II,' which recently moved from November to March 2024."

MEMPHIS CONCERTS: 12 must-see concerts coming to Memphis in September: Moneybagg Yo, Lil Baby and more

Jeff Kaufman, senior vice president and chief content officer for Malco, said the Taylor Swift movie is likely to inspire friends and fans to treat going to the film as an "event," as they did for the Barbie movie, and as they do for Swift's concerts. "They're going to dress up, they're going to sing along, they're going to dance in the aisles," Kaufman said. "And we're going to be happy to have them."

In any event, the movie already has caused one longtime newsmaker to jump, but not for joy: the Devil. To avoid competition with Taylor Swift, "The Exorcist: Believer," the latest film in the series about demonic possession, has moved its opening date from Oct. 13 to Oct. 6.

Where to see the Eras tour film in Memphis

In the Memphis area, "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" will open in most Malco theaters. These include The Collierville; the Cordova; the Desoto; the Forest Hill; the Olive Branch; the Paradiso; the Powerhouse; the Stage; and the Summer Quartet Drive-In. The movie also will be at the area's non-Malco multiplex, the Hollywood 20 in Bartlett.

Malco does not report early-sales numbers, but a random check of various cinemas showed that many screenings already are almost sold out for the first weekend (the only dates now on sale).

THINGS TO DO IN MEMPHIS: Your guide to free fall fun in Memphis: Music, art and Running of the Weenies

However, tickets to "Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour" are pricier than for most movies. An adult ticket is $21.83 (including tax), while other tickets are $14.41. (Pricing was set by Swift's management.)

But cost, apparently, is no discouragement to the singer's legion of "Swifites." Variety reported that presales of "The Eras Tour" tickets set a single-day record for the AMC Theatres chain (which has no cinemas in Memphis), and a 2023 record for the Fandango ticketing service. "With this level of demand," the entertainment newspaper wrote, "exhibitors privately believe a $100 million-plus opening weekend is possible, which is unprecedented business for this kind of movie."

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Where to see Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Memphis