LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift was here.
At the Grove mall in Los Angeles on Thursday, the pop superstar's face was plastered on posters of “The Eras Tour” film. A red carpet, on which Swift posed with fans (and Beyoncé), was still partially in place.
And for the Swifties who didn’t get to go to the Hollywood premiere Wednesday, seeing the movie at the same mall the next evening was the next best thing.
Wearing friendship bracelets — like the ones traded at Eras Tour concerts — and sporting Swift-themed attire, dozens showed up to catch the opening night of the movie’s release.
Eli Countryman, 25, had already bought tickets for what was supposed to be opening Friday. But almost as soon as he saw Swift’s surprise announcement Wednesday changing the date, he knew he was in for a back-to-back screening.
“I was doing all my deep thinking like I usually do in the shower. And as soon as I got out, I texted my roommate and I said, ‘Don’t make plans tonight. Because we’re coming here,’” he said, as he accepted a friendship bracelet from a fellow moviegoer.
Swift may help give a boost on the scale of “Barbenheimer” to the box office — analysts are predicting that the concert film could make as much as $150 million during its opening weekend, according to CNBC. That would make it one of the highest openings of this year.
The concert film will play in more than 4,000 movie theaters in the United States, Canada and Mexico, including in all AMC locations in the country, the company said in a news release. It will also play at every ODEON Cinemas location throughout Europe.
While the early showings at the Grove on Thursday weren’t packed, the crowd was enthusiastic. Many belted Swift’s lyrics as they waved, gestured and clapped along with her routines. Several performances drew applause within the theater.
Decked out in a re-creation of Swift’s bedazzled black “Reputation” bodysuit, Hailey Hermida said the show made her experience the emotion of every song. It was almost spiritual, she said.
“It’s especially cool seeing her through every single stage of her life. It’s like watching a story, almost,” said the 16-year-old, who was there with her mother and a friend. “It’s like you can feel so connected to a person even if you don’t know them and I think that’s so beautiful.”
In New York City, another small but enthusiastic crowd turned up at Lincoln Center’s AMC to relive the magic of Swift’s tour.
Will Bartow, 34, sported a Travis Kelce jersey, in honor of the rumors that Swift is dating the Kansas City Chiefs tight end. Swift was spotted cheering on Kelce at the Chiefs-Broncos game Thursday night.
“Funnily enough, I had already ordered this as my Halloween costume before Taylor ever showed up at the game,” Bartow said.
His fiancée, Olivia Mattsey, 28, sported a “Loving him was Red,” T-shirt, referencing a popular Swift lyric from “Red.” The two didn’t get to go to the actual Eras Tour — they said the resale costs were too high, especially since they are planning a 2024 wedding. So this was Mattsey’s opportunity to experience the tour, which took the world by storm.
“I will dance, I will sing, I will cry, probably,” she said before entering the theater.
At first, the audience appeared reluctant to shake it off.
But when “Blank Space” began to play, the theater turned into a party — and half of the audience stood up and ran to the front and began an impromptu dance party.
When Swift switched to the acoustic portion of her show on screen, the dance party in the theater ended, and someone screamed “It’s surprise song o’clock!”
The comment was in reference to how Swift performed two surprise songs at each of her concerts. Ahead of the concert film's release, many were wondering which two would make the cut.
Some in the crowd sang along to the first surprise song, “Our Song,” from Swift’s debut album. Others could be seen wiping their tears as the second surprise song, “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” played.
As the weekend approaches, theaters continue to brace for the arrival of Swifties en masse.
At Marcus Theatres, some locations are setting up stations to make friendship bracelets for the occasion.
At AMCs, specialty popcorn buckets featuring the Eras Tour logo on them (which are $14.99, including popcorn) are expected to sell out fast.
“I had to justify this popcorn bucket to my parents,” said Natalie Shane, 19, who was at the Lincoln Center AMC on Thursday. “I was like, ‘Guys, this is gonna be used as storage. It’s not going to be thrown away. This is gonna be on display in my room.’”
Meanwhile, at Alamo Drafthouse theaters, singing is encouraged.
“Even we know that there’s no possible way to not sing along when hit by the power of Taylor Swift,” the company wrote in its FAQ for the film. “So while there won’t be Rowdy Screenings per se, we’re definitely down with you getting a little rowdy at the screenings — within reason, of course. Let’s keep it fun and cute out there.”
