There are very few obstacles forTop Gun: Maverickto beat, but it has now passed one of the remaining milestones to become the highest-grossing Paramount Pictures release of the studio’s 110-year year history at the domestic box office. While James Cameron’s epicTitanichas held that title for just short of 25 years,Top Gun: Maverickhas officially sank the 1997 film as Paramount’s top grosser of all time. Having now taken $601.9 million, the sequel to the 1986’sTop Gunis still surprising everyone by blowing away record after record.
Having arrived in theaters on Memorial Day weekend after a release delay of almost two years thanks to the Covid pandemic,Top Gun: Maverickhas proven that good things do come to those who wait. As if being the first billion-dollar worldwide movie of the pandemic era, holding the position of the 50th movie to gross $1 billion ever, and being far and away the highest grossing movie of Tom Cruise’s career,Top Gun: Maverickhas managed to topple the mightyTitanicwith relative ease. Considering how long James Cameron’s movie has sat on top of the Paramount mountain, and that we are just coming out of the pandemic and all the closures and disruption that brought with it, the achievement is staggering. In a statement, Brian Robbins, President and CEO of Paramount Pictures said:
“For 110 years, Paramount Pictures has produced and distributed some of the most iconic films in Hollywood history, including the all-time classic Titanic, which marks its 25th anniversary this year. Top Gun: Maverick is a phenomenal motion picture, and we take deep pride in celebrating this tremendous achievement alongside Tom Cruise, our filmmakers and cast, our marketing and distribution teams, and, of course, all the new and original Top Gun fans, without whom this wouldn’t have been possible.”
Related:Tom Cruise Set for Massive Payday Thanks to Top Gun: Maverick’s Box Office Success
Will Top Gun 3 Happen?
While there is still a lot of gas in the tank ofTop Gun: Maverick,Miles Teller has already hinted that there could possibly be a third movieto come in the franchise. While speaking toEntertainment Tonight,Teller revealed that he had spoken about anotherTop Gunmovie with Tom Cruise, but he said in the end, it all comes down to Cruise whether it happens or not.
While there has been a huge outpouring of love forTop Gun: Maverick, it has been a multifaceted thing, from the nostalgia of returning to the originalTop Gunstory in many ways, the return of not only Tom Cruise but Val Kilmer as Iceman, and the fact thatTop Gun: Maverickactually seemed to have a story worth telling and was not just attempting to cash in on the original movie. The question now is whether a third movie could capture the same feeling. Even though the numbers aroundTop Gun: Maverickadd up to big amounts of cash, and that in turn usually leads to someone wanting another bite of the cherry, there is something about maintaining theTop Gunlegacy that could end up preventing that from happening.
