Paramount's brand-new film Top Gun: Maverick recently concluded its third theatrical weekend domestically, generating $50 million to bring its overall domestic total to $393.3 million. However, Monday saw the Tom Cruise adventure propel to new heights, as the film grossed over $400 million, making it the highest-grossing film of the year in the United States.
Top Gun: Maverick is a sequel to the 1986 cult classic Top Gun, which starred Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Kelly McGillis, and Anthony Edwards. The story takes place thirty years after the events seen in the original film. It places Pete Mitchell in the shoes of an instructor tasked with training a detachment of graduates for a dangerous assignment. Demons, fears, and an unforgotten past become a melting pot that Mitchell must navigate while prepping for a mission that may garner no return.
Per Deadline, the Paramount film has generated $401.8 million at the box office, making it the year's highest-grossing film ahead of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Marvel Studios sequel previously held the title as the highest earner, accumulating $398.7 million over its six theatrical weekends. The performance by Top Gun: Maverick, however, places it in restricted airspace as the second highest-grossing domestic film of the pandemic behind Spider-Man: No Way Home.
The coveted top spot in the domestic box office hasn't been safe the past few months, and things will only continue to shift as more highly anticipated projects arrive in theaters. Matt Reeves' The Batman, which has generated roughly $369 million, previously sat upon the illustrious throne as the year's highest earner but saw the tide shift as the heavily discussed Doctor Strange sequel made its appearance. It'll be interesting to see how long Top Gun: Maverick can maintain its hold on its incredible accomplishment before another film emerges to alter the box office scales.
Marvel Studios' upcoming film Thor: Love and Thunder looms on the horizon and could potentially unseat the Cruise-led film shortly. The official teaser for the upcoming film drew the fourth most views for any trailer within 24 hours, coming in behind three other highly successful Marvel projects. The anticipation for the God of Thunder's new adventure is brewing, and one can assume that audiences will pack theaters to relish in the experience created by director Taika Waititi. The latest Marvel Studios film will officially arrive on July 8th, but until then, Top Gun: Maverick looks to hover above the clouds.
Superhero films have been dominant at the box office this year, which makes the accomplishments of Top Gun: Maverick all the more impressive. The year, however, still has an abundant amount of blockbusters up its sleeve, which points towards an exciting race to the finish. It's unclear where Top Gun: Maverick will stand once the dust settles, but for now, it stands as the year's best-performing film.
Top Gun: Maverick is currently playing in theaters.
Source: Deadline