Top Gun: Maverick has biggest Memorial Day opening weekend of all time
![Tom Cruise](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kyNLPsi9XudGjLZes7JDFi-415-80.jpg)
Moviegoers felt the need for speed over Memorial Day weekend.
The long-delayed sequel Top Gun: Maverick grossed a massive $156 million over the four-day holiday weekend, the best debut for any Memorial Day release ever. The previous record was held by Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, which opened to $153 million in 2007. This was also easily the biggest opening for a movie starring Tom Cruise, surpassing $64 million for War of the Worlds.
Maverick's success was a great sign for movie theaters as the crucial summer movie season kicks off. The box office has seen a number of successful blockbusters over the past year, including Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Batman. But it was especially notable that Top Gun was such a success seeing as, unlike many of the biggest recent blockbuster hits, it's not a superhero movie.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Paramount also said over half of the audience who went to see Maverick this weekend was over 35. For comparison, only 31 percent of The Batman's opening weekend audience consisted of moviegoers over 35, according to Deadline. Maverick's opening, then, was also a win for getting older audiences to return to the movies, a hopeful sign for non-superhero films slated for this summer including Jordan Peele's Nope and Baz Luhrmann's Elvis.
National Association of Theatre Owners CEO John Fithian argued to The New York Times, in fact, that Maverick's big opening should officially end "the debate about a full recovery" at the box office.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Escape seaside in Newport, Rhode Island
The Week Recommends For the quintessential New England experience, head to the Classic Coast
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The long-awaited return of the college football video game
In the Spotlight EA Sports' 'College Football 25' is the first installment of the series in 11 years
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: July 25, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
In 'Twisters,' there are no winds of (climate) change
Talking Point The weather-focused blockbuster kicks up a swirl of controversy over a conspicuous and deliberate omission
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Movies to watch in July, from 'Twisters' to 'Longlegs'
The Week Recommends The sequel to a '90s action classic, a much-anticipated new horror and a '60s rom-com
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Movie theaters are being forced to evolve
The Explainer People are not going to the movies the way they used to — but that does not mean they are not going at all
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
What happened to Pixar?
In the Spotlight The animation studio has been flailing for years. Now, it has a resuscitation plan.
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Movies to watch in June, from 'Inside Out 2' to 'Kinds of Kindness'
The Week Recommends The sequel to a Pixar favorite, a prequel to a hit horror series and a Kevin Costner epic
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
What we lose when a talented actor joins the Marvel universe
In the Spotlight There are some downsides to joining forces with the superhero juggernaut
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Why Cannes 2024 is shaping up to be the most dramatic yet
In the Spotlight Organisers face controversies on multiple fronts, from a potential stand-off with Iran to rumours of a 'secret list' of industry predators
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
Movies to watch in May, from 'Furiosa' to 'The Fall Guy'
The Week Recommends A low-fi A24 horror, a May-December romance inspired by Harry Styles, and a love letter to stuntmen
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published