This Memorial Day weekend, Tom Cruise earned the biggest movie launch of his career with “Top Gun: Maverick,” bringing in a projected $151 million at the box office during Memorial Day weekend. According to The Hollywood Reporter, global totals were also expected to exceed $275 million despite not playing in either China or Russia.
“Top Gun” was off to a staggering $51.8 million start on Friday with more than $19 million in previews from 4,700 theaters in North America. The science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg grossed $64.9 million during the three-day weekend.
Despite being one of Hollywood’s heaviest hitters, Cruise had never had a bigger opening since 2005’s “War of the Worlds” with Dakota Fanning. Cruise said “Top Gun” would “never” make its theatrical debut on a streaming network despite years of setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Paramount film, which was delayed multiple times due to the coronavirus pandemic, now holds the record for the second-best Memorial Day opening of all time behind Johnny Depp’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” which earned $153 million when it was released in 2007.
The box office is currently at $126,700,000 in gross ticket sales.
—
Photo Credit: JStone // Shutterstock.com