'Top Gun: Maverick' is the Biggest Thing Since 'Shrek 2'
by EG
Top Gun: Maverick had an impressive second weekend in theaters, with its ticket sales staying high even a week after its debut. It performed better in its second week than any other blockbuster in history, and it's by far the hottest movie ever starring Tom Cruise in the United States. The long-awaited sequel is also giving a boost to the US box office, which has had a lackluster spring. Read on for details.
Joseph Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick is showing no signs of slowing down.
The Paramount and Skydance tentpole, starring Tom Cruise, is doing massive business in its second weekend. The sequel earned an estimated $86 million to boast the smallest decline ever — 32 percent — for a movie opening domestically to $100 million or more. Shrek 2, which launched to $108 million, fell 33 percent, according to Comscore.
Top Gun: Maverick has earned an estimated $291.6 million through Sunday in North America and $548.6 million globally. Top Gun 2 continues to fly high overseas, where it is likewise holding strong. It earning another $81.7 million for a foreign tally of $257 million.
On Saturday, Top Gun: Maverick became Cruise’s top-grossing film domestically when passing up 2005’s The War of the Worlds ($243.3 million), not adjusted for inflation. That’s after zooming past the first Top Gun ($180.3 million) and Cruise’s Mission: Impossible films, including the last installment, Mission: Impossible — Fallout ($220.2 million).
Internationally, Top Gun: Maverick is already well ahead of the $176 million earned by the first Top Gun, not adjusted for inflation. The U.K. leads with $39.7 million. However, it is far from matching many of the recent Mission: Impossible films at the foreign box office. One reason — the sequel isn’t getting a release in China or Russia.
The movie’s overall performance is a huge win for the summer box office and shows that people are eager to return to theaters after two years of sparse Hollywood product due to the pandemic.
In North America, Top Gun: Maverick had the playing field largely to itself until next weekend when Jurassic World: Dominion lands across the U.S.
Overseas, Jurassic World 3 began opening midweek week in 15 markets for an estimated total $55.5 million through Friday. It’s doing strong business in Mexico, Brazil and Italy in particular.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.