Box Office: Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Lays the Smackdown on The Rock’s ‘Smashing Machine’

Taylor Swift has emerged as the box office champion with her showdown with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson‘s new big screen grappler, ‘The Smashing Machine.’

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Following the mammoth success of her ‘Eras Tour’ film, Swift re-teamed with AMC for the theatrical component of her blockbuster new album ‘The Life of a Showgirl.’

Billed as a “cinematic experience,” the 89-minute ‘Life of a Showgirl Release Party’ served up the music video for the focus single ‘The Fate of Ophelia,’ behind-the-scenes footage of the visual, lyric videos of the album’s tracks, and Swift’s commentary on all of the cuts on the colossal LP.

And it’s proving another touchdown for the megastar.

Taylor Swift Triumphs

In its opening weekend, ‘Showgirl’ sparkles at #1 with a seismic $33 million gross domestically across North America. A limited release, it is playing in over 500 AMC theaters.

With worldwide numbers factored in, its gross rises to $45 million – besting initial projections.

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The Rock’s Soft Opening with ‘Machine’

While Swift excelled, eyebrows are raised in more ways than one for ‘The Smashing Machine.’

For, the film launched with $6 million gross domestically.

The soft opening is notable on a number of fronts. From its hefty $50 million budget to it now serving as the lowest theatrical start of Johnson’s career.

Still, it’s of note that the Hollywood titan earned critical acclaim – and a 15-minute standing ovation – for his performance in the film ahead of its release and has widely been tipped for Oscar recognition.

Could this be a case of the true wins coming during award season? Time will tell.