It looks like Joseph Kosinski is about to make quite the splash in cinemas, as Top Gun: Maverick is on its way to pull in $142.4M over Memorial Day weekend. The 4-day weekend will put the film on its path to beating out the record held by Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End for 15 years ago. Currently, it’ll likely nab $117M over a 3-day period with Friday potentially ending at $50M. That puts it above its initial $100M prediction, but The Numbers does potentially see it also reaching a high of $150M.
Maverick will now be the second-best opening for Paramount only behind Iron Man 2‘s $128.1M, which also holds the record of the highest opening day since 2010 that the film could overtake if it beats its Friday expectations. This also makes the film Tom Cruise‘s highest-grossing film ever after already pulling in a great $19.3M, which is a new record for Paramount Pictures.
What makes the Top Gun sequel stand out is that it pulls in an older demographic that has been quite hesitant to return to theaters. Marvel Studios and most modern blockbusters focus on the younger crowd with its four-quadrant approach, Maverick shakes things up in an interesting way to highlight the potential of other non-IP blockbusters finding their footing in the market once again. Diversity further pushes innovation and could also be a
source: Deadline, Variety, The Numbers
