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Top Gun Maverick Getty 1.jpg

Box Office Report: DANGER ZOOOOOONE!

By Kayleigh Donaldson | Film | May 30, 2022 |

By Kayleigh Donaldson | Film | May 30, 2022 |


Top Gun Maverick Getty 1.jpg

Tom Cruise is back. If you’ve ever doubted his star power after years of Xenu issues then look no further than this weekend’s box office. Sure, Top Gun is a known entity but it wasn’t guaranteed that a sequel to it released 36 years later would entice audiences. It did so in a massive way. Top Gun: Maverick flew to the top of the domestic box office with a staggering $124 million from 4,735 theaters. That’s a huge release, even by modern blockbuster standards. It was helped along by stellar reviews, with many calling it a far better film than its predecessor. I think that combination of Cruise, perhaps our last movie-star, the Top Gun name, and those astounding non-CGI flying scenes proved to be pure theatrical catnip for many who have so far avoided cinemas in 2022.

It’s a movie that begs for the biggest screen possible. My parents, who never go to the cinema, saw it on opening weekend. That’s nothing to sneeze at. It’s already made about $260.5 million worldwide, and that’s without a Chinese release date. Expect it to do gangbusters there, as Cruise’s Mission: Impossible films make nine-figures there easily. Cruise is still a star. Well, with the right movie. We didn’t want to see him in The Mummy or Rock of Ages — remember that one? — but viewers definitely want to see him constantly commit acts of near-death drama.

Opening at number three is The Bob’s Burgers Movie with $12.6 million from 3,425 theaters. All things considered, that’s not too shabby. Disney/20th Century didn’t do the film any favors opening it against one of the biggest blockbusters of the year. I feel like they’re just waiting to get it onto Disney+ as quickly as possible. But great reviews and a dedicated fandom got it sold decent grosses. The Belchers remain our most iconic underdogs. Get me a Good Manchego is Hard to Find burger stat!

For those who need a pick-me-up: Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore has, domestically, earned about half the money that Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has. J.K. Rowling is currently slandering trans women for having ‘luxury identities’ (fuck that) so let her latest hack-work flop harder.

This coming week is a quiet one, with releases for the thriller Watcher, the biographical drama Benediction, and the return of Cronenberg’s body horror madness, Crimes of the Future.

You can check out the rest of the weekend box office here.