Unexpected Turn at the Box Office: A Historic Icon Falls Behind
Music lovers and cinema fans have been treated to a clash of eras as two powerhouse concert films vie for box office glory. EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert—a stunning hybrid of documentary and concert experience—entered the race with a roaring start. Boasting rare, behind-the-scenes footage sourced by Baz Luhrmann during research for his acclaimed Elvis biopic, this film seemed poised for chart domination, supported by stellar audience (99%) and critic (96%) scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
Box Office Numbers Reveal a Surprising Winner
Despite star power and a wide theatrical release, the Elvis concert film has stumbled. Across 1,903 theaters nationwide, EPiC is projected to earn just $3.4 million over its second weekend, a modest 6% growth from its limited debut where it garnered $3.2 million from only 325 screens. This small bump has been outpaced by an unexpected challenger: Twenty One Pilots: More Than We Ever Imagined – Live in Mexico City. The duo’s film, capturing electric moments from their Clancy World Tour, is set to gross $3.6 million—securing a top-five domestic finish despite screening in over a thousand fewer theaters (just 833).
Why Twenty One Pilots Are Defying Expectations
This head-to-head highlights a fascinating shift in the concert film landscape. While Elvis remains a global icon with a multi-generational fanbase, the per-screen average tells a clear story. Twenty One Pilots’ film launches with a robust $4,322 per screen, while EPiC dips to $1,787 after its wide release. This metric signals that the alternative rock duo has not only energized their core following but managed to draw out casual fans and curious newcomers in droves.
The movie format might also play a decisive role. While EPiC appeals primarily to longtime Elvis devotees—many of whom rushed to see it in its opening days—Twenty One Pilots capitalize on a digital-native audience that’s comfortable experiencing events in theaters, streaming, and across social platforms. Their concert doc captures the high-octane energy and visual dynamism that resonates with younger viewers, extending the band’s reach beyond just music charts.
Concert Films and Pop Culture Trends
It’s rare to witness an artist from modern alt-pop outsell an icon like Elvis in this arena, but it mirrors a broader trend: event cinema is evolving. Contemporary bands like Twenty One Pilots utilize striking visuals, immersive stage design, and interactive setlists to deliver a once-in-a-lifetime theater experience, almost gamifying concert attendance for film audiences. This approach parallels trends seen with other music event sensations—think Taylor Swift or BTS—where fan-driven buzz directly impacts on-screen success.
Meanwhile, narrative films still dominate the upper echelons: Wuthering Heights, GOAT, and Scream 7 are currently leading the box office, reinforcing that concert movies, while popular, remain a niche phenomenon. Yet the days of concert cinema solely serving older music legends may be numbered; bands with active, digital fanbases are writing a new box office playbook.
For Elvis Presley, the numbers suggest his concert film already reached core fans. For Twenty One Pilots, this win demonstrates how today’s audience engagement and multimedia experience can outplay even the most enduring legends. Tracking box office data on music movies is becoming as fascinating as the encores themselves, as new rules—and new rivals—reshape what it means to have a hit in theaters.
