Tom Cruise may have pulled off one of the most daring stunts of his career -- getting audiences to go to the movies for something that doesn`t involve superheroes. 
 
'Top Gun: Maverick' pulled in blockbuster ticket sales in its opening weekend, collecting $134 million from a record 4,732 North American cinemas. Paramount and Skydance`s all-American action adventure is expected to collect $151 million through Monday, defying expectations while also setting a new high-water mark for Memorial Day opening weekends. That`s thanks to dazzling reviews, heaping doses of nostalgia and getting Cruise back in the cockpit to perform real aerial stunts as pilot Pete 'Maverick'&nbsp;Mitchell. 
 
'Top Gun: Maverick' is the highest-grossing debut in Cruise's 40-year career, and his first to surpass $100 million on opening weekend. 'War of the Worlds,' which opened to $64 million in 2005, previously stood as Cruise`s biggest opening weekend.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/exclusive-jon-hamm-on-working-with-tom-cruise-in-top-gun-maverick-482572">WATCH:&nbsp;Exclusive: Jon Hamm on working with Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick</a> 
 
Audiences over 40 years old, the people who were top of mind when Paramount greenlit a sequel to 1986`s 'Top Gun,' turned out in force, which is impressive because that demographic has been the most reluctant to return to theaters. The film`s positive word of mouth should be helpful in reaching younger audiences, who were not alive when 'Top Gun' opened 36 years ago. 
 
David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, called the film`s three-day figure "outstanding." 
 
"The source material remains strong, the execution is excellent, and Tom Cruise makes it work impeccably well," he says. 
 
'Top Gun: Maverick' continues a stellar box office streak for Paramount, marking the studio`s fifth movie this year to open in first place. Without the assistance of comic books or raging dinosaurs, the studio's 2022 slate -- also consisting of 'Sonic the Hedgehog' ($182 million in North America), 'The Lost City' ($100 million in North America), 'Scream' ($81 million in North America) and 'Jackass Forever' ($57 million in North America) -- has resonated in theaters in a big way. It`s an impressive rebound since Paramount hardly released any movies during the pandemic, instead sending big titles like Chris Pratt`s 'The Tomorrow War,' director Aaron Sorkin`s 'The Trial of the Chicago 7' and Eddie Murphy`s 'Coming 2 America' to streaming services. 
 
Despite countless delays (the 'Top Gun' sequel was scheduled to open in the summer of 2020 until COVID-19 scrambled those plans), Cruise was adamant that 'Maverick' not follow in the footsteps of those films. The two-year wait has already started to pay off since the film has been rapturously reviewed. It has a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 'A+' CinemaScore. 
 
Joseph Kosinski directed the PG-13 'Top Gun: Maverick,' which picks up decades after the original and sees Maverick train a new group of cocky aviators for a crucial assignment. The cast includes Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly and Val Kilmer, who played Iceman in the first 'Top Gun.' 
 
'Top Gun: Maverick' also needs theaters to justify its hefty $170 million production budget, which does not include the tens of millions spent on promoting the movie to audiences worldwide. Those efforts included a splashy premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, which culminated with eight fighter jets flying over the Croisette (the French government paid for those). Skydance Media co-produced and co-financed the film.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-top-gun-maverick-review-joe-kosinskis-film-presents-tom-cruise-in-his-full-glory-482049" hreflang="en">'Top Gun Maverick' review: Tom Cruise and the story are still as impactful as before</a> 
 
Only one film, Disney and 20th Century's 'The Bob's Burgers Movie,' was brave enough to open against 'Top Gun: Maverick.' For a movie that`s based on a long-running animated TV show, 'The Bob`s Burgers Movie' served up an impressive $12 million from 3,425 venues, enough for third place on box office charts. The movie should finish Memorial Day with $15.3 million.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/exclusive-team-top-gun-maverick-shares-experience-of-filming-on-actual-fighter-jets-482206" hreflang="en">Exclusive: Team 'Top Gun: Maverick' shares experience of filming on actual fighter jets</a> 
 
'The Bob`s Burgers Movie' landed just behind 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,' which dropped to No. 2 after three weeks atop domestic box office charts. Disney`s newest Marvel Cinematic Universe installment declined 50% to add $16 million from 3,805 cinemas in its fourth weekend of release. The superhero sequel, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, has generated $375 million to date. 
 
At No. 4, 'Downton Abbey: A New Era' plunged 63% from its opening, collecting $5.9 million between Friday and Sunday. It`s estimated to earn $7.5 million from 3,830 theaters by Monday. After two weeks in theaters, the sequel to the big-screen continuation of the beloved British television show, has grossed $30 million in North America and $68.9 million worldwide. The follow-up film cost $40 million to produce, meaning the latest "Downton" adventure has ways to go before getting into the black. 
 
Universal`s animated heist comedy 'The Bad Guys' rounded out the top five with $4.6 million from 2,944 locations. By Monday, the family friendly film should rake in $6.1 million, which will bring its domestic tally to $82 million.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/top-gun-maverick-star-jennifer-connelly-on-working-with-tom-cruise-for-the-first-time-in-her-career-482972/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Tom Cruise may have pulled off one of the most daring stunts of his career -- getting audiences to go to the movies for something that doesn`t involve superheroes.

Tom Cruise may have pulled off one of the most daring stunts of his career -- getting audiences to go to the movies for something that doesn`t involve superheroes. 'Top Gun: Maverick' pulled in blockbuster ticket sales in its opening weekend, collecting $134 million from a record 4,732 North American cinemas. Paramount and Skydance`s all-American action adventure is expected to collect $151 million through Monday, defying expectations while also setting a new high-water mark for Memorial Day opening weekends. That`s thanks to dazzling reviews, heaping doses of nostalgia and getting Cruise back in the cockpit to perform real aerial stunts as pilot Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell. 'Top Gun: Maverick' is the highest-grossing debut in Cruise's 40-year career, and his first to surpass $100 million on opening weekend. 'War of the Worlds,' which opened to $64 million in 2005, previously stood as Cruise`s biggest opening weekend. WATCH: Exclusive: Jon Hamm on working with Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick Audiences over 40 years old, the people who were top of mind when Paramount greenlit a sequel to 1986`s 'Top Gun,' turned out in force, which is impressive because that demographic has been the most reluctant to return to theaters. The film`s positive word of mouth should be helpful in reaching younger audiences, who were not alive when 'Top Gun' opened 36 years ago. David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research, called the film`s three-day figure "outstanding." "The source material remains strong, the execution is excellent, and Tom Cruise makes it work impeccably well," he says. 'Top Gun: Maverick' continues a stellar box office streak for Paramount, marking the studio`s fifth movie this year to open in first place. Without the assistance of comic books or raging dinosaurs, the studio's 2022 slate -- also consisting of 'Sonic the Hedgehog' ($182 million in North America), 'The Lost City' ($100 million in North America), 'Scream' ($81 million in North America) and 'Jackass Forever' ($57 million in North America) -- has resonated in theaters in a big way. It`s an impressive rebound since Paramount hardly released any movies during the pandemic, instead sending big titles like Chris Pratt`s 'The Tomorrow War,' director Aaron Sorkin`s 'The Trial of the Chicago 7' and Eddie Murphy`s 'Coming 2 America' to streaming services. Despite countless delays (the 'Top Gun' sequel was scheduled to open in the summer of 2020 until COVID-19 scrambled those plans), Cruise was adamant that 'Maverick' not follow in the footsteps of those films. The two-year wait has already started to pay off since the film has been rapturously reviewed. It has a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 'A+' CinemaScore. Joseph Kosinski directed the PG-13 'Top Gun: Maverick,' which picks up decades after the original and sees Maverick train a new group of cocky aviators for a crucial assignment. The cast includes Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly and Val Kilmer, who played Iceman in the first 'Top Gun.' 'Top Gun: Maverick' also needs theaters to justify its hefty $170 million production budget, which does not include the tens of millions spent on promoting the movie to audiences worldwide. Those efforts included a splashy premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, which culminated with eight fighter jets flying over the Croisette (the French government paid for those). Skydance Media co-produced and co-financed the film. 'Top Gun Maverick' review: Tom Cruise and the story are still as impactful as before Only one film, Disney and 20th Century's 'The Bob's Burgers Movie,' was brave enough to open against 'Top Gun: Maverick.' For a movie that`s based on a long-running animated TV show, 'The Bob`s Burgers Movie' served up an impressive $12 million from 3,425 venues, enough for third place on box office charts. The movie should finish Memorial Day with $15.3 million. Exclusive: Team 'Top Gun: Maverick' shares experience of filming on actual fighter jets 'The Bob`s Burgers Movie' landed just behind 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,' which dropped to No. 2 after three weeks atop domestic box office charts. Disney`s newest Marvel Cinematic Universe installment declined 50% to add $16 million from 3,805 cinemas in its fourth weekend of release. The superhero sequel, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, has generated $375 million to date. At No. 4, 'Downton Abbey: A New Era' plunged 63% from its opening, collecting $5.9 million between Friday and Sunday. It`s estimated to earn $7.5 million from 3,830 theaters by Monday. After two weeks in theaters, the sequel to the big-screen continuation of the beloved British television show, has grossed $30 million in North America and $68.9 million worldwide. The follow-up film cost $40 million to produce, meaning the latest "Downton" adventure has ways to go before getting into the black. Universal`s animated heist comedy 'The Bad Guys' rounded out the top five with $4.6 million from 2,944 locations. By Monday, the family friendly film should rake in $6.1 million, which will bring its domestic tally to $82 million.

'Top Gun: Maverick' debuts to stratospheric $124 Million

It's been more than three decades since Tom Cruise made us all fall in love with flying. As US Navy's fighter pilot Pete 'Maverick' Mitchel in 'Top Gun', Cruise catapulted to the big league and the film earned cult classic status. It is always a big risk to make a sequel to an iconic hit and it took the makers 35 years to come up with 'Top Gun: Maverick'. A film that somewhat picks up from 1986 original but this time with a nearly 60-year-old Tom Cruise at the helm of affairs. Does it work? Yes and mainly due to the film's leading man and his everlasting charm- age notwithstanding.&nbsp; 
 
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, 'Top Gun Maverick' begins 35 years from where 'Top Gun' left. Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitche; (Tom Cruise) is now mostly flying solo and has evaded the ranks in his career because he doesn't play by the book- still. A risky pilot, he is summoned by Top Gun- US Navy's flying school for fighter pilots- to train a batch of pilots for a mission that can be fatal. Initially reluctant to take up the job, Maverick does take on the job on the behest of his old colleague and friend Ice (Val Kilmer in a special cameo) who is now an admiral in the US Navy.&nbsp;

<img alt="t" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8e808c1b-75b9-46e1-b8b1-44e5fead1e43" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202022-05-25T153825.477.jpg" /> 
 
Maverick though has personal demons to fight as one of the students in the course is Lieutenant Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw(Miles Teller), the son of Maverick's late best friend and RIO Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw (played by Anthony Edwards in the original).&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-exclusive-tom-cruise-can-do-everybodys-job-he-is-terrific-says-top-gun-maverick-producer-481890" hreflang="en">Exclusive! Tom Cruise can do everybody's job, he is terrific, says 'Top Gun: Maverick' producer&nbsp;</a> 
 
Rooster and Maverick's relationship is a strained one and that hinders Maverick from taking a few calls in the training program initially. With undercurrent tensions, will Maverick be able to train the pilots for a job that can risk their lives?&nbsp; 
 
Hollywood is crowded with superhero action films and most thrillers resort to VFX to make cutting edge films. Makers of 'Top Gun: Maverick' reportedly trained some of their actors inside the cockpit for 3 months before filming- which makes the film's experience far more authentic.&nbsp; 
 
Of course, some of the moments in the film are almost a replica of the original- of the shirtless pilots playing beach volleyball, of the bromance and rivalry between the pilots-&nbsp;typical of a good old Hollywood actioner, but somehow it works. The scenes between Cruise and Teller are well performed and well written- you can sense the uneasiness between the two characters right from the beginning. The scene featuring Cruise and Kilmer is special and slightly emotional and rides high nostalgia.&nbsp;

<img alt="t" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="51dcf6eb-08c2-45e7-a84b-d87ec44326e1" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202022-05-25T153727.002.jpg" /> 
 
While 'Top Gun: Maverick' tries to tell a different story from the original and has an impressive new cast on board, it ultimately showcases Cruise in all his glory. At 60 he is fitter than some of his peers and doesn't shy away from going shirtless on screen. He does shy away from filming a full fledged love scene with his on-screen romantic interest Penny (Jennifer Connelly). Instead, they are shown to romance the old fashioned way, with more exhange of words and suggestive moves.&nbsp; 
 
Cruise's presence looms large and he doesn't disappoint his fans. He delivers a summer blockbuster, playing the Alpha-male to the hilt who can die for his country, romance the honourable way, play a father figure to his students and fight his inner demons while being commissioned on one of the toughest missions of his career.&nbsp; 
 
Other actors like John Hamm as Vice Admiral, Jennifer Connelly as the spirited Penny, and Miles Teller as the angsty Rooster are equally good in their roles- complementing Cruise in every scene and playing their part well.&nbsp; 
 
'Top Gun: Maverick' is predictable by the end, but it still manages to hold your attention with the glorious camera work by Claudio Miranda. The airshow with fighter jets racing against time and the enemy is well captured on screen and is best viewed on the big screen.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/giXco2jaZ_4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> 
 
There's very little that goes against the film, really. 'Top Gun: Maverick' is your typical summer blockbuster. It has got a bit of everything- action, romance, comedy and thrilling fighter planes. For those who grew up watching and loving Tom Cruise and his films, it's a perfect post-pandemic gift from one of Hollywood's biggest stars.&nbsp; 
 
'Top Gun: Maverick' is running in theatres across the world.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/exclusive-team-top-gun-maverick-shares-experience-of-filming-on-actual-fighter-jets-482206/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

It's been more than three decades since Tom Cruise made us all fall in love with flying. As US Navy's fighter pilot Pete 'Maverick' Mitchel in 'Top Gun', Cruise catapulted to the big league and the film earned cult classic status.

It's been more than three decades since Tom Cruise made us all fall in love with flying. As US Navy's fighter pilot Pete 'Maverick' Mitchel in 'Top Gun', Cruise catapulted to the big league and the film earned cult classic status. It is always a big risk to make a sequel to an iconic hit and it took the makers 35 years to come up with 'Top Gun: Maverick'. A film that somewhat picks up from 1986 original but this time with a nearly 60-year-old Tom Cruise at the helm of affairs. Does it work? Yes and mainly due to the film's leading man and his everlasting charm- age notwithstanding. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, 'Top Gun Maverick' begins 35 years from where 'Top Gun' left. Captain Pete 'Maverick' Mitche; (Tom Cruise) is now mostly flying solo and has evaded the ranks in his career because he doesn't play by the book- still. A risky pilot, he is summoned by Top Gun- US Navy's flying school for fighter pilots- to train a batch of pilots for a mission that can be fatal. Initially reluctant to take up the job, Maverick does take on the job on the behest of his old colleague and friend Ice (Val Kilmer in a special cameo) who is now an admiral in the US Navy. Maverick though has personal demons to fight as one of the students in the course is Lieutenant Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw(Miles Teller), the son of Maverick's late best friend and RIO Nick 'Goose' Bradshaw (played by Anthony Edwards in the original). Exclusive! Tom Cruise can do everybody's job, he is terrific, says 'Top Gun: Maverick' producer Rooster and Maverick's relationship is a strained one and that hinders Maverick from taking a few calls in the training program initially. With undercurrent tensions, will Maverick be able to train the pilots for a job that can risk their lives? Hollywood is crowded with superhero action films and most thrillers resort to VFX to make cutting edge films. Makers of 'Top Gun: Maverick' reportedly trained some of their actors inside the cockpit for 3 months before filming- which makes the film's experience far more authentic. Of course, some of the moments in the film are almost a replica of the original- of the shirtless pilots playing beach volleyball, of the bromance and rivalry between the pilots- typical of a good old Hollywood actioner, but somehow it works. The scenes between Cruise and Teller are well performed and well written- you can sense the uneasiness between the two characters right from the beginning. The scene featuring Cruise and Kilmer is special and slightly emotional and rides high nostalgia. While 'Top Gun: Maverick' tries to tell a different story from the original and has an impressive new cast on board, it ultimately showcases Cruise in all his glory. At 60 he is fitter than some of his peers and doesn't shy away from going shirtless on screen. He does shy away from filming a full fledged love scene with his on-screen romantic interest Penny (Jennifer Connelly). Instead, they are shown to romance the old fashioned way, with more exhange of words and suggestive moves. Cruise's presence looms large and he doesn't disappoint his fans. He delivers a summer blockbuster, playing the Alpha-male to the hilt who can die for his country, romance the honourable way, play a father figure to his students and fight his inner demons while being commissioned on one of the toughest missions of his career. Other actors like John Hamm as Vice Admiral, Jennifer Connelly as the spirited Penny, and Miles Teller as the angsty Rooster are equally good in their roles- complementing Cruise in every scene and playing their part well. 'Top Gun: Maverick' is predictable by the end, but it still manages to hold your attention with the glorious camera work by Claudio Miranda. The airshow with fighter jets racing against time and the enemy is well captured on screen and is best viewed on the big screen. There's very little that goes against the film, really. 'Top Gun: Maverick' is your typical summer blockbuster. It has got a bit of everything- action, romance, comedy and thrilling fighter planes. For those who grew up watching and loving Tom Cruise and his films, it's a perfect post-pandemic gift from one of Hollywood's biggest stars. 'Top Gun: Maverick' is running in theatres across the world.

'Top Gun Maverick' review: Tom Cruise and the story are still as impactful as before

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'Top Gun: Maverick' debuts to stratospheric $124 Million

'Top Gun Maverick' review: Tom Cruise and the story are still as impactful as before