Ride into the danger zone, because Top Gun: Maverick has become the 10th highest-grossing film of all time domestically. The critically acclaimed sequel, directed by Joseph Kosinski, has officially beaten out 2017’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi to earn a place on the historic list. It does so with a current domestic total of $622 million at the box office, just passing the $620.2 million brought in by the eighth entry in The Skywalker Saga. Maverick joins a coveted group that also includes Spider-Man: No Way Home, Titanic, Jurassic World, and Avatar.
The film is the second installment in a franchise that started back in 1986, with Tony Scott‘s original Top Gun. The only returning cast members from the first film are Tom Cruise, whose character headlines the sequel, and Val Kilmer, who appears in what could be one of his final film credits. Miles Teller co-stars as “Rooster,” the son of Anthony Edwards‘ deceased “Goose”, alongside Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm, Monica Barbaro, and Lewis Pullman. The plot of Maverick sees Cruise‘s titular rogue pilot brought back to the Top Gun academy as a reluctant instructor, charged with prepping a new generation of graduates for a near-impossible mission.
Top Gun: Maverick has been somewhat of a saving grace for the film industry, bringing audiences back to cinemas in droves after a dreary few years. The movie’s success also came as a bit of a surprise, with few people expecting the legacy sequel to compete with the likes of Marvel Studios and Hollywood’s other heavy-hitting franchise films. Its popularity can be attributed to a genuinely great final product, combined with the star power of Cruise, nostalgia for the iconic first adventure, and a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
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