Top Gun: Maverick officially becomes the second movie since 2019 to cross $1 billion at the global box office. Acting as a sequel to 1986's beloved Top Gun, Joseph Kosinski's Top Gun: Maverick sees the return of Tom Cruise's hotshot pilot, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. The film features Maverick taking up a teaching role this time around, training a new batch of Top Gun pilots for a dangerous mission in enemy territory, including Rooster (Miles Teller), the son of his late former Wingman, Goose (Anthony Edwards).
Top Gun: Maverick has earned almost universally positive reviews from both audiences and critics, with many praising the impressive aerial combat sequences. Kosinski previously stated that they filmed over 800 hours of footage for the film, with the cast members required to undertake significant training in order to be able to film themselves while in the cockpit of real fighter jets. In addition to Rooster, Top Gun: Maverick introduces a host of new characters for audiences to root for, including Jennifer Connelly as Penny, Jon Hamm as Cyclone, Monica Barbaro as Phoenix, Lewis Pullman as Bob, Jay Ellis as Payback, and Glen Powell as Hangman. The film also brings back original Top Gun star Val Kilmer as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky.
Per a new report from Deadline, Top Gun: Maverick has now officially crossed $1 billion at the global box office, making it the second film since 2019 to do so after Spider-Man: No Way Home last year. The $1 billion comprises $521.7 million earned domestically and $484.7 million from international markets. Both Top Gun: Maverick and Spider-Man: No Way Home are the only movies to have hit this impressive milestone since Avengers: Endgame shattered box office records upon its release in 2019.
While the marketing from Paramount and Cruise has undoubtedly helped Top Gun: Maverick at the box office, the film also boasts strong reviews and very positive word-of-mouth. The positive reception to the film has helped Cruise's latest blockbuster to see relatively small dips in box office performance from weekend to weekend, with last weekend experiencing only a 21% drop. Top Gun: Maverick is currently competing against another legacy sequel, Jurassic World Dominion, which has also been performing well at the box with over $700 million earned globally despite the film's generally poor reviews.
Although the Top Gun sequel comes more than 35 years after the original film, it's clear that time has not deterred audiences' interest in Cruise's hotshot pilot. Crucially, the film features plenty for both longtime fans of the original and newcomers alike to enjoy, with Top Gun: Maverick's aerial combat alone making it worth the price of admission for many viewers. With movie theaters having struggled for the last few years under the restrictions brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic, Top Gun: Maverick's record-breaking performance could suggest that, at least for many audiences, blockbuster movies are back and better than ever.
Source: Deadline