Elvis has continued to conquer the domestic box office, hitting a major new milestone this weekend. The film, which was helmed by Aussie director Baz Luhrmann, contains the signature blend of classical film aesthetic with modern musical sensibilities that he perfected in films like Moulin Rouge! and The Great Gatsby, both of which won two Oscars apiece. Elivis, which was released in theaters on June 24, 2022, was co-written by Luhrmann as well, alongside Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner.

Elvis stars Austin Butler as Elvis Presley, tracking the crooner's career through many different periods of his life. However, it also focuses on the life and backstory of Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), Elvis' legendarily controlling manager. The rest of the cast includes Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley, Helen Thomson as Gladys Presley, Richard Roxburgh as Vernon Presley, Kelvin Harrison Jr. as B.B. King, Kodi Smit-McPhee as Jimmie Rodgers Snow, and Stranger Things star Dacre Montgomery as Steve Binder.

Related: Tom Hanks' Weird Elvis Performance Is Actually Perfect (Despite Haters)

Per VarietyElvis has now passed the $100 million mark at the domestic box office. This result isn't entirely surprising. Even though it only topped the box office chart for one weekend, it has remained within the Top 4 every weekend since its release so far, even with hot competition from films like Minions: The Rise of GruJurassic World DominionThor: Love and Thunder, and the box office juggernaut Top Gun: Maverick. While it may not be a surprise, it is certainly a rare achievement for an adult drama that isn't attached to a larger franchise.

Elvis' Austin Butler singing and pointing at crowd with background musicians

The only other non-IP film to have crossed the $100 million mark domestically this year was The Lost City, the rom-com adventure film starring Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum. That might not seem like much, but it's a better showing than 2021, which only had Free Guy as the lone non-IP project to cross that mark. The fact also remains that both The Lost City and Free Guy were designed to appeal to audiences other than only adults. To find the last non-IP, adult-oriented drama that crosses that mark, one has to look all the way back to 2020 and the Oscar-winning Sam Mendes war picture 1917.

While the film isn't attached to a franchise, Elvis Presley is obviously a legendary figure. His status as an American icon is surely what has helped send Elvis up the charts (although the film is performing well in international markets too, taking in $170 million worldwide). However, this might also spell out a brighter future for adult dramas as the pandemic continues to see box office projections warp and shift on a week-to-week basis.

Next: Elvis: Why Baz Luhrmann Uses So Much Modern Music

Source: Variety