Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ Film Gives Big Box Office Energy, Debuts At No. 1

Beyoncé secured the top spot at the box office with her "Renaissance" film.

Beyoncé’s Renaissance film topped the box office, raking in $21 million in ticket sales during its opening weekend.

Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé was released Friday, December 1, and defied the odds with a post-Thanksgiving haul of over $20 million, the Associated Press reports. The film is the first accomplish the feat since 2003’s The Last Samurai, which starred Tom Cruise.

The film also made $6.4 million from 2,621 theaters in 94 international territories. The Renaissance film is written, directed, and produced by Beyoncé and follows the creation and results of her 2023 world tour. She released the film in partnership with AMC.

“On behalf of AMC Theatres Distribution and the entire theatrical industry, we thank Beyoncé for bringing this incredible film directly to her fans,” Elizabeth Frank, AMC Theatres executive vice president of worldwide programming, said in a statement, per the Associated Press. “To see it resonate with fans and with film critics on a weekend that many in the industry typically neglect is a testament to her immense talent, not just as a performer, but as a producer and director.”

While Renaissance performed well for a concert film, it came nowhere near the $92.8 million debut of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in October, which has made more than $250 million in its soon-to-end theatrical run.

Beyoncé and Taylor Swift have been dominating the touring space in 2023 with their world tours. Bey’s started in Stockholm, Sweden, in May and ended in Kansas City, Missouri, raking in over $500 million with 2.7 million concertgoers. Swift’s “Eras Tour” is currently in its European leg with 151 dates, and is expected to gross around $1.4 billion.

The Renaissance film currently has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an A+ on CinemaScore.