Tom Cruise may have performed one of the boldest stunts of his career – to get audiences to go to the movies for something that doesn’t involve superheroes.
Top Gun: Maverick boosted blockbuster ticket sales in its first weekend, raising $ 134 million from a record 4,732 North American theaters. The all-American action adventure of Paramount and Skydance is expected to raise $ 151 million by Monday, contrary to expectations, while seeking to set a new high point for the opening of Remembrance Day over the weekend. (“Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” by Disney, which launched with $ 153 million over the long weekend of 2017), currently holds the holiday record. This is proof of dazzling reviews, loads of nostalgia and the return of Cruz to the cockpit to perform real aerial stunts like pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell.
In the international box office, the sequel to the 1986 film “Top Gun” sold 124 million dollars, an impressive amount, as the film is not played in key areas, China and Russia. In total, “Top Gun: Maverick” has earned $ 248 million worldwide.
“Top Gun: Maverick” is the most lucrative domestic debut in Cruz’s 40-year career and his first to top $ 100 million in the first weekend. War of the Worlds, which opened for $ 64 million in 2005, was previously Cruise’s biggest opening weekend.
An audience of over 40, the people who were at the top when Paramount gave the green light to another “Top Gun” proved to be in force (55% of ticket buyers), which is impressive because the demographic group is the one that most does not want to return to theaters. Still, the dazzling stunts at Maverick have attracted a significant percentage of millennial moviegoers – 45 percent of people aged 35 or younger – who were not alive when Top Gun opened 36 years ago. The positive word of the film should be useful for continuing to reach younger crowds.
David A. Gross, who runs the film consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, called the three-day figure in the film “outstanding.”
“The source material remains strong, the performance is excellent and Tom Cruise makes it work flawlessly,” he said.
Imax and 3D screens added higher revenue for Maverick, with 22% of the box office’s total returns coming from premium formats. Imax alone is expected to contribute $ 21 million in the domestic market and $ 32.5 million worldwide over the extended weekend.
“If you thought the movies were dead, go watch Top Gun: Maverick and then tell me what you think,” said Imax CEO Rich Gelfond. “This film heralds the return of the summer blockbuster and is a catalyst that will accelerate the search for cinema, such as the F-18, which breaks the sound barrier. There’s no way to sit in a theater with a huge screen and loudspeakers pounding on your chest and walk away thinking there’s another way to experience Top Gun: Maverick.
“Top Gun: Maverick” continues the stellar box office series for Paramount, marking the studio’s fifth film this year, which opens in first place. Without the help of comics or raging dinosaurs, the studio’s plan for 2022 also consists of “Sonic the Hedgehog” ($ 182 million in North America), “The Lost City” ($ 102 million in North America), “Scream” ($ 81 million in North America) and “Jackass Forever” ($ 57 million in North America) – resonated in theaters in a big way. This is an impressive rebound, as Paramount made almost no films during the pandemic, instead sending major titles such as Chris Pratt’s “The Tomorrow War,” Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” and “Coming 2 America.” Eddie Murphy to streaming services.
Despite countless delays (the sequel to “Top Gun” was due to begin in the summer of 2020, until COVID-19 thwarted these plans), Cruz was adamant that “Maverick” would not follow in the footsteps of these live films. . The two-year wait has already begun to pay off, as the film has been enthusiastically reviewed. It has 97% Rotten Tomatoes and a rare CinemaScore “A +”.
“I’m glad we made that decision to stay,” Paramount’s head of internal distribution Chris Aronson said of keeping the film on the big screen. “This film will have a huge circulation. This will attract people to theaters who haven’t been there for a long time. “
Joseph Kosinski directed PG-13 “Top Gun: Maverick,” which began decades after the original and saw Maverick train a new group of arrogant pilots for a crucial task. The cast includes Miles Teller, Glen Powell, John Ham, Jennifer Connelly and Val Kilmer, who played Eisman in the first Top Gun.
Top Gun: Maverick also needs cinemas to justify its huge production budget of $ 170 million, which does not include the tens of millions spent on promoting the film to audiences around the world. These efforts include an exciting premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, culminating in eight fighter jets flying over the Croisette (the French government paid for them). Skydance Media co-produced and co-financed the film.
Only one movie, Disney and 20th Century’s The Bob’s Burgers Movie, was brave enough to start against Top Gun: Maverick. For a film based on a long-running animated television show, The Bob’s Burgers Movie grossed an impressive $ 12.6 million out of 3,425 seats, enough to finish third in the box office charts. The well-reviewed film is set to end the long weekend of Remembrance Day with $ 15 million.
“The Bob’s Burgers Movie” landed just behind “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which dropped to No. 2 after three weeks at the top of the local box office charts. Disney’s latest Marvel Cinematic Universe installment fell 50 percent to add $ 16.5 million from 3,805 theaters in its fourth weekend. It is expected to reach $ 21.1 million over the four-day period. The sequel to the superhero, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, has generated $ 375 million in North America and a whopping $ 868.7 million worldwide to date.
At No. 4, Downton Abbey: A New Era fell 63 percent since its opening, raising $ 5.9 million between Friday and Sunday. It is estimated to earn $ 7.5 million from 3,830 theaters by Monday. After two weeks in theaters, the sequel to the big-screen sequel to Britain’s favorite television show has grossed $ 30 million in North America and $ 68.9 million worldwide. The production of the next film cost $ 40 million, which means that Downton’s latest adventure must go before it goes black.
The animated comedy about the theft of Universal “The Bad Guys” finished the top five with 4.6 million dollars out of 2944 seats. By Monday, the family-friendly film should have grossed $ 6.1 million, up from $ 82 million.
Without much on schedule for Jurassic World: Dominion on June 10, expect Top Gun Maverick to continue flying high above the movie theater tents.
additional screen reader
Add Comment