It was a sea of silver in some U.S. theaters Thursday evening as members of the BeyHive sported their "Renaissance"-themed attire for early screenings of Beyoncé’s concert film.
“Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” which officially debuts in theaters Friday, follows the artist’s history-making tour, which kicked off in Stockholm on March 10 and concluded in Kansas City, Missouri, on Oct. 1, making 56 stops and entertaining more than 2.7 million fans along the way.
Adrianna Tomasello, 29, who went to see the movie at AMC in New York City’s East Village, said she was excited about the movie because she could see “what went into the artistic decisions” that she saw onstage.
“What makes Beyoncé special to me is the way she makes people feel,” she said. “Like she makes me feel like I can do anything and that you can do anything being as authentic as possible.”
The 29-time Grammy winner’s film comes on the heels of the successful rollout of a concert film from fellow superstar Taylor Swift.
The pop culture icons, whose tours overlapped in the United States during the summer, made headlines this year for helping boost consumer spending. Fans — who inundated social media with posts from the concerts — dished out up to thousands of dollars to see the artists perform. The two artists also showed up to support each other at the respective premieres for their films.
Unlike the “Eras Tour” movie — which is all concert footage — the "Renaissance" film features the live concert, as well as behind-the-scenes content. The movie's runtime is about 2 hours and 48 minutes — and many songs performed during the concert are included. Beyoncé, who narrates parts of the film, is credited as director, producer and creative director.
“The goal for this tour was to create a place where everyone is free and no one is judged,” Beyoncé said in a trailer. “Start over, start fresh, create the new. That’s what the 'Renaissance' is about.”
Viewers of the movie learn more about the pop star’s knee injury, as well as more about her late Uncle Johnny, who is mentioned on her song “Heated” and whom she has credited for inspiring the album.
Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy (who performed onstage during the "Renaissance Tour") is in the film, and some former Destiny’s Child members also make a brief cameo.
Many moviegoers celebrated the release by wearing silver, a color that has become synonymous with the "Renaissance Tour" after Queen Bey directed concert attendees to wear silver for the final tour dates as a birthday request to her. (She’s a Virgo.)
Beyonce herself also dazzled in silver during the star-studded Los Angeles film premiere Nov. 25, where the dress code was “cozy opulence.”
Jaden Green, 19, wore the same silver bodysuit that he wore to the "Renaissance Tour" stop in Charlotte, hoping to “relive that night.”
“I’ve been a fan [of Beyoncé] since I was like a child,” he said. “She’s an inspiration. She inspires everybody and brings power to women, but also the LGBTQ community. 'Renaissance' is an homage to house music and vogue and I think it’s special for the LBGTQ community.”
Joshua Newkirk, 34, who saw the “Renaissance Tour” in Houston, described the album as “a love letter” to gay fans. Newkirk, who wore silver gloves and a sparkly silver cowboy hat to the AMC Village 7, said that’s why it means so much to him.
“I’m seeing myself, period,” he said.
Some moviegoers, like Isaiah Rivers, 30, have never seen Beyoncé in person — so catching the tour on the big screen with fellow fans felt like the next best thing.
“She’s one of the greatest entertainers of our time right now,” Rivers said before heading into the theater. “I’ve never seen her before, I always miss the opportunity or have to work … I’m gonna be singing and dancing like I’m at the real concert.”
Even if they weren’t sporting "House of Chrome" theme attire, fans who headed to some theaters were still able to lean into the "Renaissance Tour" aesthetic by purchasing merch.
At AMC, people could purchase “Renaissance”-inspired posters, cups, popcorn buckets and cocktails (fittingly called Crazy in Love Rum Punch and We Like to Party Sangria). AMCs nationwide offered the same memorabilia. At Alamo Drafthouse locations, attendees could get drink specials and a “concert kit.” Singing was also encouraged, with the theater writing on its website: “Even we know that there’s no possible way to not sing along when hit by the power of Beyoncé.”
Some moviegoers also opted to partake in the "mute challenge," which was popularized during the tour itself. During the song “Energy,” when Beyoncé sings, “Look around, everybody on mute,” the crowd goes silent.
On Friday, several people from Newark and surrounding New Jersey cities gathered for a "Renaissance"-themed movie night downtown on Halsey Street.
Event organizers Raziya Tucker and Audris Torres, who held similar festivities for the "Barbie" movie release over the summer, said they designed the "Renaissance" party to support Black businesses and bring together the community in a fun way.
"We really wanted to hone in on a lot of social equity and a lot of entrepreneurial spirit with this,” Torres said.
“I think that was just what was so awesome about it — that so many people are excited about coming together,” said Tucker, who attended Beyoncé’s "Renaissance World Tour" in Amsterdam. “You know, just coming together for a common cause, which is Beyoncé — because you know, we love Beyoncé.”
The “Renaissance” “crawl” began with trivia games at Plantivia Wellness, a Black-owned wellness shop, where attendees played themed trivia as they sipped on Beyoncé-themed drinks and danced to some of her biggest hits. The event continued at Marcus B&P restaurant for food and music before wrapping with the main event: a screening of the movie at the CityPlex 12 movie theater on Springfield Avenue.
On Thursday, Variety reported that the movie earned $5.1 million in previews. "The film is projected to earn between $17 million to $20 million in its opening weekend from approximately 2,539 domestic locations," the publication reported. The movie will also debut in 94 international territories.
“When Beyoncé says you show up—” said Kareem Willis, a scholar and activist who attended the Newark festivities.
"You show out," Willis' friend said, finishing his sentence.
