Paramount and Skydance's Top Gun: Maverick continues its hot streak and has now scored the second-best fourth weekend of all-time with $44 million over Father's Day, which behind only Avatar ($50.3M).
The Tom Cruise blockbuster has now grossed over $885.2 million worldwide ($466.2M domestic; $419M foreign) and should top $900 million by the end of tomorrow, if not by Tuesday. It's been in theaters for less than a month and it looks like it could soar past that coveted $1 billion mark long before it hits 30 days, an absolutely astonishing accomplishment.
Elsewhere, Universal's Jurassic World: Dominion will remain king of the box office for the second week in a row with $58.7 million (-59%), outperforming Disney/Pixar's Lightyear, which will debut with an underwhelming $51 million over the three-days.
Combined with a strong international showing, the Colin Trevorrow-directed blockbuster has now grossed over $621.2 million globally ($248.8M domestic; $372.4M foreign), proving yet again that not much tops dinosaurs at the box office.
While reviews have been a franchise-worst, the reception from theater-goers has been pretty positive thus far as it's earned an "A-" CinemaScore and a 78% audience score on RottenTomatoes, both of which are on par with 2015's Jurassic World and notably higher than 2018's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
As for Lightyear, the Chris Evans-starrer was projected to launch somewhere in the $70 million to $85 million range, so the $51 million start is certainly a surprise, and combined with $34.6 million overseas, it's collected approximately $85.6 million over three days, which is just a so-so start for the first Pixar film to hit theaters in three years.
While Disney undoubtedly underestimated the appeal of dinosaurs to its target audience, there is a slight bright side, as since the film is catered toward younger children, there is a good possibility Lightyear will have strong legs through the hot summer months, but only time will tell whether it will manage to recoup the $200 million production budget, especially with Illumination's Minions: The Rise of Gru just around the corner.
Check out our exclusive interviews with director Joseph Kosinski and actor Glen Powell (Hangman) below:
In our review, we said, "Top Gun: Maverick is the must-see cinematic experience of the year! Packed with jaw-dropping aerial sequences, thrilling edge-of-your-seat moments, genuine heart, epic romance, huge stakes, and one of the absolute best performances of Tom Cruise's legendary career, this is the theatrical experience you've been waiting for."
Tom Cruise headlines the feature as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, with original co-star Val Kilmer returning as Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky. The iconic pair are joined by an all-star supporting cast consisting of Jennifer Connelly as Penny Benjamin, Miles Teller as Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, Jon Hamm as Vice Admiral Cyclone, Glen Powell as Hangman, Lewis Pullman as Bob, Ed Harris as Rear Admiral, Monica Barbaro as Phoenix, Charles Parnell as Rear Admiral Warlock, Danny Ramirez as Fanboy, Manny Jacinto as Fritz, Bashir Salahuddin as Coleman, Jay Ellis as Payback, Jake Picking in an undisclosed role, Raymond Lee in an undisclosed role, Lyliana Wray as Amelia Benjamin, Jean Louisa Kelly as Carole Bradshaw, Greg Davis as Coyote, and Bob Stephenson in an undisclosed role.
Top Gun: Maverick is now play in theaters worldwide!
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”
Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.