The producers of upcoming horror sequel The Exorcist: Legion have bumped up the movie’s release date by one week. The schedule change avoids opening against Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour concert film.
Swift recently announced her tour documentary will screen in theaters starting October 13th. It captures her record-breaking Eras Tour production across U.S. stadiums this year.
Realizing the conflict, Exorcist producer Jason Blum stated on Twitter that “The Exorcist: Believer moves to 10/6/23. #TaylorWins.” His tweet playfully referenced Swift’s song “Look What You Made Me Do.”
The date shift prevents the films from competing head-to-head for audiences. It also acknowledges Swift’s massive cultural imprint that would likely overshadow the horror prequel.
Swift shared a trailer for her Eras Tour movie alongside the October 13th date announcement. She called the ambitious stadium show the most meaningful experience of her career so far.
Demand for the concert film swiftly overwhelmed ticket sites, demonstrating Swift’s popularity. Theaters including AMC, Regal and Cinemark will screen the nearly 3-hour production.
Strategically, the October 13th release precedes Swift’s new album Midnights by two weeks. She’s also pricing tickets at $19.89 and $13.13 to tie in with her re-recorded 1989 album out in late October.
The Exorcist sequel wisely avoided the Swift juggernaut by changing dates. Competing with her diehard fanbase proved an unwinnable battle.
The movie change also shows Swift’s dominance across entertainment right now. Even horror franchises acknowledge her precedence in theaters.
As Swift expands her brand into film for the first time, the schedule shuffle exemplifies her priority status. Movie studios treat her releases with utmost care.
By tweeting the switch lightheartedly, producer Blum accepted defeat in fun spirit rather than resentment. Swift’s cordial relationships across Hollywood enable such graceful concessions.
For Swift, the clear landscape on October 13th ensures her tour film receives maximum exposure and box office returns. Theaters will be at her fans’ service exclusively.
Meanwhile, The Exorcist sequel may benefit from having a week of lead time before the Halloween rush. The makers seem content to bide their time rather than directly confronting the Swift steamroller.
In the end, both sides come away satisfied. Sometimes carefully considered timing trumps stubborn face-offs in Hollywood’s scheduling wars.
