Almost four decades after the world was introduced to cheeky US navy pilot Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, it seems portrayer, Tom Cruise still has the golden touch. The highly anticipated sequel, Top Gun: Maverick has exceeded everyone’s expectations by killing it at the box-office during its debut opening weekend.
Released 36 years (and two weeks) after the 1986 original, the sequel has hit the $124 million mark in the US and Canada alone. Screening in a record-breaking 4,732 cinemas domestically, the $100 million+ earnings mark the best North American opening for any of Cruise’s movies to date.
Top Gun: Maverick is Smashing the Box Office, Giving Star, Tom Cruise His First $100 Million+ Opening Weekend
His previous record was held by War of the Worlds, earning $65 million during it’s 2005 North American debut.
“These results are ridiculously, over-the-top fantastic,” said Paramount’s president of domestic distribution, Chris Aronson. “I’m happy for everyone. I’m happy for the company, for Tom, for the filmmakers.”
Worldwide, Top Gun: Maverick has brought in double the domestic gross. $248 million has been taken at the box-office internationally, despite the film not showing in China or Russia.
Along with bringing in the big bucks, the film has received rave reviews from critics and movie-goers alike. Praise has been heaped upon the adrenaline pumping flight scenes, and yes, another shirtless beach scene.
Touted as a “barrier-breaking sequel”, The Independent has labeled Top Gun: Maverick “as thrilling as blockbusters get” and a “true legacy sequel” while The Telegraph called it “absurdly exciting” and “unquestionably the best studio action film in years”.
Cruise has been adamant the insane cinematography needs to be seen on the big screen and this is partly why it took three years for the film to make its big screen premiere. Top Gun: Maverick was originally scheduled for release in July 2019, but was postponed, first to June, 2020, and then, thanks to Covid to the May 28/29 weekend of 2022.
So, if you haven’t already done so, it seems as though you ought to put “go see Top Gun: Maverick” on your to-do list…and fast.
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