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a14 people & arts
Tuesday 31 May 2022
'Top Gun: Maverick' wins Tom Cruise 1st $100 million opening

By LINDSEY BAHR who returns to the elite avi-
AP Film Writer ation training program to
Forget breaking the sound train the next generation of
barrier: Tom Cruise just flew flyers, including Miles Teller,
past a major career mile- Glen Powell, Monica Bar-
stone. baro, Greg Tarzan Davis,
The 59-year-old superstar Danny Ramirez, Lewis Pull-
just got his first $100 million man and Jay Ellis. Jennifer
opening weekend with Connelly, Jon Hamm and
"Top Gun: Maverick." In Val Kilmer, reprising his role
its first three days in North from the original, also star.
American theaters, the "This solidifies the notion
long-in-the-works sequel that the movie theater is
earned an estimated $124 a singular and a vitally im-
million in ticket sales, Para- portant outlet for people,"
mount Pictures said Sun- Dergarabedian said. "Peo-
day. Including international ple are looking for a great
showings, its worldwide to- escape from everything
tal is $248 million. that's going on in the world
It's a supersonic start for a right now."
film that still has the wide- "Maverick" is now among
open skies of Memorial Day the top pandemic era
itself to rake in even more openings, still led by "Spi-
cash. According to pro- der-Man: No Way Home"
jections and estimates, by with $260 million, followed
Monday's close, "Top Gun: by "Doctor Strange in the
Maverick" will likely have Multiverse of Madness" with
over $150 million. $187 million and "The Bat-
"These results are ridicu- man" with $134 million.
lously, over-the-top fan- Notably, "Top Gun: Maver-
tastic," said Chris Aronson, ick" is the only non-super-
Paramount's president of hero movie in the bunch.
domestic distribution. "I'm It also attracted a wide
happy for everyone. I'm swath of age groups to the
happy for the company, theater. An estimated 55%
for Tom, for the filmmakers." of the audience was over
Though undeniably one 35.
of the biggest stars in the "Superhero movies aren't
world — perhaps even "the Tom Cruise poses for the media during the 'Top Gun Maverick' UK premiere at a central London for everybody. This movie
last movie star," accord- cinema, on Thursday, May 19, 2022. is for everyone and that's
ing to various headlines — Associated Press what sets it apart," Aronson
Cruise is not known for mas- said. "The theatrical exhibi-
sive blockbuster openings. summer of 2020. Its market- major theatrical release. A "This movie literally waited tion business has challeng-
Before "Maverick," his big- ing campaign technically streaming debut was sim- for the movie theater to es ahead of it, but this is a
gest domestic debut was started back in July 2019. ply not an option. come back." shot in the arm for that."
in 2005, with Steven Spiel- The pandemic got in the "That was never going to The build up has been just "The Bob's Burgers Movie"
berg's "War of the Worlds," way of those plans, how- happen," Cruise said in as flashy, with fighter-jet- was the only new release
which opened to $64 mil- ever, and it was delayed Cannes. adorned premieres on an that dared go up against
lion. After that it was "Mis- several times. Directed by And it is major, with 4,735 aircraft carrier in San Diego "Top Gun." Released by
sion: Impossible — Fallout" Joseph Kosinski, produced North American theaters (a and at the Cannes Film Fes- 20th Century Studios and
with $61 million in 2018. It's by Jerry Bruckheimer and record) showing "Top Gun: tival, where Cruise was also Disney, the animated pic
not that his films don't make co-produced and co-fi- Maverick." It also opened in given an honorary Palme earned $12.6 million from
money in the long run: They nanced by Skydance, the 23,600 locations in 62 inter- d'Or, and a royal premiere 3,425 locations. It opened
just aren't enormously front- sequel reportedly cost $152 national markets. in London attended by in third place, behind
loaded. million to make. "This is one of the longest Prince William and his wife "Doctor Strange 2," which
"Top Gun: Maverick" had an But even as the months, runways for a marketing Kate. earned $16.4 million in its
extremely long journey to and years, went by and campaign for any film ever. "The feeling you get when fourth weekend in theaters.
get to the theaters. The se- many other companies And it only served to create you watch this film with an "Top Gun" will continue
quel to the late Tony Scott's chose to compromise on more excitement around audience, it's pretty spe- to essentially have the
"Top Gun," which was re- hybrid releases, Cruise and the movie," said Paul Der- cial," Aronson said. "The skies to itself until "Jurassic
leased in 1986, was origi- Paramount didn't waver garabedian, the senior me- first big screening we had, World: Dominion" opens
nally slated to open in the on their desire to have a dia analyst for Comscore. there was spontaneous ap- on June 10. "It has a really
plause during the movie." nice, open marketplace to
LIKE US ON Reviews have been stellar, play," Dergarabedian said.
too, with the film notching "Tom Cruise has always
a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. been about consistency.
Audiences, who were 58% His movies are about the
male, gave it an A+ Cine- marathon. This is the first
maScore, according to exit movie of his that is sprinting
polls. to big box office numbers.
Facebook.com/arubatoday/ The new film has Cruise re- Here, he gets the sprint and
prising the role of Maverick, the marathon."q