After Taylor Swift ignited the box office in 2023 with her concert film, it’s Billie Eilish’s turn. The Grammy and Oscar-winning pop star will release a concert film named after her latest album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” with Paramount Pictures this March, and she will be co-directing it with none other than James Cameron.
Eilish announced the concert film on Instagram on Sunday night with a picture of her with the legendary director behind “Avatar” and “Titanic,” along with a March 20 release date. And as one might expect from a James Cameron project, it will be screened in 3D, a format that Cameron continues to promote beyond “Avatar.”
Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment are co-producers on the film along with Darkroom Records and Interscope Films.
Last year, Eilish became the youngest person ever to win two Academy Awards at age 22 when she won her second Oscar for the song “What Was I Made For?,” which she wrote for the movie “Barbie.” She won her first Oscar two years prior for the theme to the James Bond film “No Time to Die.” She has also won nine Grammys from 32 nominations, including Song of the Year for “What Was I Made For?”
It remains to be seen whether Eilish’s star power will lead to a box office run for “Hit Me Hard and Soft” as big as Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour,” which exploded to a $93.2 million opening and set a concert film record with $261.6 million worldwide. But it will be a welcome addition for theaters to a March slate that includes the original Pixar film “Hoppers,” Warner Bros.’ ‘The Bride!”, and the Amazon MGM sci-fi film “Project Hail Mary,” the latter of which will be released the same weekend as Eilish’s film.
This will be Eilish’s first theatrically released concert film. In 2021, she released the concert film “Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles” as a Disney+ exclusive. The film was directed by Robert Rodriguez and animated short Oscar winner Patrick Osbourne and featured the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel.
