‘Top Gun Maverick’ Debuts Well for Memorial Day Weekend [Video]

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The new “Top Gun” sequel debuted this past Memorial day weekend to great reviews. The film grossed $156 million in the U.S. over a 4-day period.

“Top Gun: Maverick” is a reboot of the 1986 film, originally starring Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Kelly McGillis, and Anthony Edwards. The film was set in a Naval Fighter Weapons School, commonly dubbed as ‘TOPGUN’ by students. Cruise and Kilmer played two naval officers, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and Tom “Iceman” Kazansky respectively. Both were trying to graduate at the top of the class and competed with each other throughout the film. The two actors reprised their roles in the new movie as Captain Maverick and Admiral Kazansky. The rest of the cast includes newcomers like Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, and Lewis Pullman.

Another Win for Producer Jerry Bruckheimer

The film’s successful weekend gross put it at odds with another movie released 15 years earlier. “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” held the record for best Memorial Day weekend debut, up until this week. Deadline reports that “Top Gun: Maverick” is on track to beat the pirate movie’s total of $153 million. No matter which release comes out on top, Jerry Bruckheimer will be pleased with the result. He produced both films which will go on to be two of his most successful. Paramount Pictures will also be pleased to see another No. 1 opening in its 2022 lineup. The studio has had the best year due to other movies like “Scream,” “Jackass Forever,” “The Lost City” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.”

The Future of Original Films Outside of a Large Franchise

While “Top Gun: Maverick” is not an original film, it still is one of the few risks studios are taking today. Movies without a huge following or attachment to an established franchise often get turned down because studios fear they will perform poorly. Some experts say that the simultaneous release is one of the big factors in a film’s success, not just the brand name behind it. Studios are advised to save the release to streaming for later since the box office can be very lucrative. Because “Top Gun: Maverick” is a follow-up to an 80s classic, it attracted the older crowd who do not attend theaters as much. This is the same generation that grew up with theater screens and would appreciate them more than their living rooms.

A third movie in the “Top Gun” franchise has not been announced. While it is most likely that Paramount will want to capitalize on the film’s popularity, Bruckheimer stated that no discussion has occurred.

We’re enjoying this one; let’s ride this wave.

Written by Chiagozie Onyewuchi
Edited by Sheena Robertson

Source:

Deadline: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Deep-Sixes ‘Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End’ For Memorial Day Opening Record With $156M – Monday AM Update; by Anthony D’Alessandro

Featured, Top, and first inset Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Second inset Image Courtesy of Tony Webster’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License