On Sunday night, the trailer dropped for Beyoncé's highest-grossing tour to date, The Renaissance World Tour. Dripping with behind-the-scenes lore and inspiration, the coming film is a predecessor to Netflix’s “Homecoming” (2019) and Disney’s “Black is King” (2020). Both films were seen as pivotal moments in Beyoncé's career, changing the game and celebrating the beauty of Blackness at the highest level.
But what’s to come in December is nothing less than unique.
Honing in on Beyoncé's intention, hard work and involvement in the production of the tour, the trailer teases with quotes from Beyoncé's creative mind. Only a glimpse is shown of how she seeks to further stamp her legacy and master her craft.
Julia Alexander, a sophomore public relations major, is a two-time concertgoer to Beyoncé's Renaissance world tour and is elated about the news.
“I was watching the live stream because I knew the last show was in Kansas City,” Alexander said. “I wanted to see what the grand reveal was going to be.”
After a highly anticipated wait, Beyoncé's admired voice tells future moviegoers what the Renaissance Tour movie is all about.
“The goal for this tour was to create a place where everyone is free and no one is judged,” Beyoncé said in the trailer. “At any point, they can close their eyes and be right back there and take it with them.”
Still recovering from her post-concert high, Alexandria Gee, a senior and communications major, is looking forward to the film’s release.
“I just want more Beyoncé,” she said. “I don’t want the Renaissance tour to end.”
The scouting for tickets has already begun, and some students were surprised by the price.
“I heard the tickets are really expensive,” said Emily Sales, a senior majoring in business administration. “Like $28? That’s more expensive than Taylor’s movie [tickets].”
Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” movie is set to premiere in theaters on Oct. 13, with tickets priced at $19.89, a nod to the re-release of her “1989″ album. However, there are other students who think that Beyoncé's potential movie ticket price is worth it.
“It seems really expensive,” said Desta Sahle, a neuroscience and public relations major. “But I would pay all the money in the world to see Beyoncé.”
Excited to relive the eye-catching dramatics and performances on stage during Beyoncé's tour, some of the Beyhive at USC are interested in seeing behind the scenes.
“I want to see how [the tour] actually came together,” Gee said. “Not everyone got to experience the Renaissance tour.”
Expressing how resellers made it difficult for some people to get to see the tour, Gee, as well as others who enjoyed Act I, the album itself, believe that “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé,” is possibly Act II out of the rumored three acts.
“It is Act II,” said Maya Broomfield, a graduate student in specialized journalism. “I didn’t get to go to her concert, but I saw on Instagram that Beyoncé kept saying, ‘You are the visual,’ and she was hinting at it the whole time, and we did not catch it.”
Finally getting “the visuals” that many have been waiting for, Alexander believes that the upcoming movie will be similar in filming style to Beyoncé's “Homecoming” in 2019.
Switching from rehearsals, family and intimate moments with Beyoncé to intense, breathtaking live performances like her previous Netflix documentary, subtle transitions were shown in the trailer, demanding a replay that makes Alexander admit that Beyoncé is ‘full of surprises.’
Mary Ikeocha, a senior majoring in psychology, hopes to see some familiar faces like Jay-Z pop up in behind-the-scenes clips.
“I hope to see him in the movie,” said Ikeocha. “I hope to see a little bit more explanation about their relationship now with their daughter.”
It’s sure to be a star-studded movie, as audiences can expect appearances from Jay-Z, Blue Ivy, Tina Knowles, Kevin Aviance, Honey Balenciaga and more. Beyoncé sees herself in the film as liberated — “a new animal” — as she quotes in the trailer.
“We’re going to go into theaters in our best outfits,” Broomfield said. “We’re going to look good, and we’re going to make Beyoncé proud.”
From the stunning outfits her fans made for her latest tour to the impact she has already made on ballroom culture, there will be a renaissance in theaters on December 1 that you won’t want to miss.