Paramount and Skydance’s huge Memorial Day weekend opening for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ shows just how much audiences trust Tom Cruise to continue delivering at the box office, four decades into his career .
Why is this important: “He’s really unique,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “He’s become this go-to action movie star at a time when stars are getting harder and harder to find.”
- It is the first film starring Cruise to debut with over $65 million at the domestic box office.
- The film debuted 28% above Cruise’s last big hit, “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” in 2018.
By the numbers: The highly anticipated sequel grossed $124 million at the domestic box office on Sunday night and $248 million worldwide.
- The film could oust Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” as the highest-scoring Memorial Day opener of all time if it generates enough ticket sales on Monday.
- The film’s older audience makes its massive debut all the more remarkable. According to Paramount, about 55% of the movie’s viewers were over 35. The first “Top Gun” movie debuted in 1986.
- “Top Gun: Maverick” has been released on more than 25,000 screens worldwide, making it Paramount’s widest release in its history, per Paramount.
State of play: The film has so far received rave reviews from consumers and critics, meaning regular viewers are expected this weekend.
The big picture: Top Gun’s smash debut means we’re “officially in the realm of steady momentum, or at least in the realm of box office normalcy,” Dergarabedian said.
Catch up fast: “Top Gun: Maverick” is the latest pandemic-era film to surpass $100 million when it opened at the domestic weekend box office.
Be smart: Cruise has leaned more into action movies over the past decade with franchises like “Mission: Impossible” and “Jack Reacher.”
- Action movies are increasingly popular at the box office in the age of streaming.
And after: Ahead of the rest of the summer, Dergarabedian said a slew of non-action films should do well — a sign of hope for theaters.
- “Lightyear,” Disney’s sci-fi animated film about Buzz Lightyear’s origin, will debut in June.
- “No,” the sci-fi horror film by Jordan Peele, will be released in July.