Top Gun: Maverick," the highly anticipated sequel to the 80s classic, soared to one of the most impressive premieres in recent years across US theaters, raking in an impressive $160 million. This remarkable debut marks a career-best for Tom Cruise, the lead actor in the film.
The movie's robust performance, showcased at the Cannes Festival, was buoyed by stellar reviews and a well-timed release during the US Memorial Day weekend, extending into an additional Monday holiday nationwide. Paramount+, the studio behind the film, managed to recoup its substantial investment of over $170 million in just four days. Joseph Kosinski, the director (known for "Tron: Legacy"), helmed this high-stakes sequel.
Outshining the 1986 Original
Top Gun: Maverick, hitting theaters 36 years after the release of the original film, easily outstripped the 1986 premiere of Top Gun, which garnered a modest eight million dollars in its initial weekend, according to Box Office Mojo records.
"I saw the first film when I was a kid, 12 years old, and I was very impressed by Tony Scott's style, but I also knew that I had to make it my own. That I had to take the story into the future and not look back," remarked Kosinski in a recent interview with Efe.
A Salient Success in 2023
Within the current year, Top Gun: Maverick stands as the fourth-best opening, trailing behind juggernauts like "Spider-Man: No Way Home" ($260 million), "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" ($187 million), and "The Batman" ($134 million).
The remainder of the US weekend box office was marked by "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" ($20 million in its fourth week), "The Bob's Burgers Movie" (14 million in its premiere), "Downton Abbey: A New Era" (seven million in its second week), and "The Bad Guys" (five million in its sixth week).
