While Universal's Jurassic World: Dominion will take away premium theaters this weekend, Paramount and Skydance's Top Gun: Maverick is still holding strong at the box office and has now topped $612.2 million worldwide ($334.M domestic; $278M foreign).
With a current domestic haul of $334.2 million, Maverick is on track to become the highest-grossing U.S. blockbuster of the year and should top The Batman's $369.3 million by the end of the weekend. The $388.7 million collection Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is also within striking distance, but it'll probably take another week or so to get to that figure. As for how high the film could ultimately go, box office pundits believe a $500 million final finish domestically is very much in reach.
It's already the biggest hit of Tom Cruise's career and could also become his first billion-dollar blockbuster if it manages to hold better than Jurassic World: Dominion and Lightyear throughout the rest of the summer, which is seeming increasingly likely due to its universal critical acclaim and extremely good word-of-mouth.
With a production budget of $172.5 million and $150 million in print and advertising, the film's reported break-even number was approximately $410 million, and since it's already crossed that figure, everything from now until the end of the summer is pretty much all profit. That's great news for Cruise, who's expected to walk away with an astronomical nine-figure payday, the biggest for any actor ever.
On a related note, Entertainment Weekly has shared a first-look photo at the emotional reunion between Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Iceman (Val Kilmer).
When we spoke to him last month, director Joseph Kosinski spoke at length about the emotional day of filming, and he shares a few more details to EW, telling them about Chris McQuarrie's role in bringing the scene together.
"Obviously [we] spent a lot of time on that scene, writing it, getting ready. I wasn't sure how it was going to work. Chris McQuarrie put the final touches on the scene and really convinced me that that scene was going to work. And he was right. It's a really beautiful scene. We shot it in Los Angeles in a really beautiful house up on a park. Very special to see not only Val and Tom, but Maverick and Iceman back on the screen together."
Kilmer, whose lengthy recovery from throat cancer ultimately cost him his voice, was only able to physically appear in a single scene opposite Cruise, but it's undoubtedly the blockbuster's strongest and most emotional moment and he tells the trade, via email, how thrilled he was to reunite with his most iconic co-star, "It was like no time had passed at all," fondly remembering his time on-set, "We blew a lot of takes laughing so much. It was really fun... special."
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.