Forget breaking the sound barrier: Tom Cruise just flew past a major career milestone.
The 59-year-old superstar just got his first $100 million opening weekend with B次元官网网址淭op Gun: Maverick.B次元官网网址� In its first three days in North American theaters, the long-in-the-works sequel earned an estimated $124 million in ticket sales, Paramount Pictures said Sunday. Including international showings, its worldwide total is $248 million.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a supersonic start for a film that still has the wide-open skies of Memorial Day itself to rake in even more cash. According to projections and estimates, by MondayB次元官网网址檚 close, B次元官网网址淭op Gun: MaverickB次元官网网址� will likely have over $150 million.
B次元官网网址淭hese results are ridiculously, over-the-top fantastic,B次元官网网址� said Chris Aronson, ParamountB次元官网网址檚 president of domestic distribution. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 happy for everyone. IB次元官网网址檓 happy for the company, for Tom, for the filmmakers.B次元官网网址�
Though undeniably one of the biggest stars in the world B次元官网网址� perhaps even B次元官网网址渢he last movie star,B次元官网网址� according to various headlines B次元官网网址� Cruise is not known for massive blockbuster openings.
Before B次元官网网址淢averick,B次元官网网址� his biggest domestic debut was in 2005, with Steven SpielbergB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淲ar of the Worlds,B次元官网网址� which opened to $64 million. After that it was B次元官网网址淢ission: Impossible B次元官网网址� FalloutB次元官网网址� with $61 million in 2018. ItB次元官网网址檚 not that his films donB次元官网网址檛 make money in the long run: They just arenB次元官网网址檛 enormously frontloaded.
B次元官网网址淭op Gun: MaverickB次元官网网址� had an extremely long journey to get to the theatres. The sequel to the late Tony ScottB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址淭op Gun,B次元官网网址� which was released in 1986, was originally slated to open in the summer of 2020. Its marketing campaign technically started back in July 2019. The pandemic got in the way of those plans, however, and it was delayed several times. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and co-produced and co-financed by Skydance, the sequel reportedly cost $152 million to make.
But even as the months, and years, went by and many other companies chose to compromise on hybrid releases, Cruise and Paramount didnB次元官网网址檛 waver on their desire to have a major theatrical release. A streaming debut was simply not an option.
B次元官网网址淭hat was never going to happen,B次元官网网址�
And it is major, with 4,735 North American theaters (a record) showing B次元官网网址淭op Gun: Maverick.B次元官网网址� It also opened in 23,600 locations in 62 international markets.
B次元官网网址淭his is one of the longest runways for a marketing campaign for any film ever. And it only served to create more excitement around the movie,B次元官网网址� said Paul Dergarabedian, the senior media analyst for Comscore. B次元官网网址淭his movie literally waited for the movie theater to come back.B次元官网网址�
The build up has been just as flashy, with fighter-jet-adorned premieres on an and at the , where Cruise was also given an honorary Palme dB次元官网网址橭r, and a attended by Prince William and his wife Kate.
B次元官网网址淭he feeling you get when you watch this film with an audience, itB次元官网网址檚 pretty special,B次元官网网址� Aronson said. B次元官网网址淭he first big screening we had, there was spontaneous applause during the movie.B次元官网网址�
have been stellar, too, with the film notching a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, who were 58% male, gave it an A+ CinemaScore, according to exit polls.
The new film has Cruise reprising the role of Maverick, who returns to the elite aviation training program to train the next generation of flyers, including Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Greg Tarzan Davis, Danny Ramirez, Lewis Pullman and Jay Ellis. Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Val Kilmer, reprising his role from the original, also star.
B次元官网网址淭his solidifies the notion that the movie theater is a singular and a vitally important outlet for people,B次元官网网址� Dergarabedian said. B次元官网网址淧eople are looking for a great escape from everything thatB次元官网网址檚 going on in the world right now.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淢averickB次元官网网址� is now among the top pandemic era openings, still led by B次元官网网址淪pider-Man: No Way HomeB次元官网网址� with $260 million, followed by B次元官网网址淒octor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessB次元官网网址� with $187 million and B次元官网网址淭he BatmanB次元官网网址� with $134 million.
Notably, B次元官网网址淭op Gun: MaverickB次元官网网址� is the only non-superhero movie in the bunch. It also attracted a wide swath of age groups to the theater. An estimated 55% of the audience was over 35.
B次元官网网址淪uperhero movies arenB次元官网网址檛 for everybody. This movie is for everyone and thatB次元官网网址檚 what sets it apart,B次元官网网址� Aronson said. B次元官网网址淭he theatrical exhibition business has challenges ahead of it, but this is a shot in the arm for that.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淭he BobB次元官网网址檚 Burgers MovieB次元官网网址� was the only new release that dared go up against B次元官网网址淭op Gun.B次元官网网址� Released by 20th Century Studios and Disney, the animated pic earned $12.6 million from 3,425 locations. It opened in third place, behind B次元官网网址淒octor Strange 2,B次元官网网址� which earned $16.4 million in its fourth weekend in theaters.
B次元官网网址淭op GunB次元官网网址� will continue to essentially have the skies to itself until B次元官网网址淛urassic World: DominionB次元官网网址� opens on June 10.
B次元官网网址淚t has a really nice, open marketplace to play,B次元官网网址� Dergarabedian said. B次元官网网址淭om Cruise has always been about consistency. His movies are about the marathon. This is the first movie of his that is sprinting to big box office numbers. Here, he gets the sprint and the marathon.B次元官网网址�
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Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Tuesday.
1. B次元官网网址淭op Gun: Maverick,B次元官网网址� $124 million.
2. B次元官网网址淒octor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,B次元官网网址� $16.4 million.
3. B次元官网网址淭he BobB次元官网网址檚 Burgers Movie,B次元官网网址� $12.6 million.
4. B次元官网网址淒ownton Abbey: A New Era,B次元官网网址� $5.9 million.
5. B次元官网网址淭he Bad Guys,B次元官网网址� $4.6 million.
6. B次元官网网址淪onic the Hedgehog 2,B次元官网网址� $2.5 million.
7. B次元官网网址淓verything Everywhere All At Once,B次元官网网址� $2.5 million.
8. B次元官网网址淭he Lost City,B次元官网网址� $1.8 million.
9. B次元官网网址淢en,B次元官网网址� $1.2 million.
10. B次元官网网址淔3: Fun and Frustration,B次元官网网址� $1 million.
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Lindsey Bahr, The Associated Press
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