Tom Cruise is about to have the biggest box office opening of his career as Top Gun: Maverick soars into theaters this Memorial Day Weekend.
The three-time Oscar nominee’s hotly anticipated reprisal of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is expected to smash his worldwide opening ticket sales records at $180 million and $92-$100 million, according to Deadline.
Cruise’s previous biggest global opening was the 2017 misfire The Mummy ($172.3 million), while his biggest domestic opening was 2005’s War of the Worlds ($64.8 million).
Between rave early reviews and years of anticipation, hype for the fighter jet-inverting sequel to 1986’s Top Gun is sky high.
It already holds a 97-percent “Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes, according to 271 critics. Their consensus reads, “Top Gun: Maverick pulls off a feat even trickier than a 4G inverted dive, delivering a long-belated sequel that surpasses its predecessor in wildly entertaining style.”
Cruise was widely celebrated for his role as both a star and producer at the Cannes Film Festival, where he was honored with a Palme d’Or—the event’s highest honor—following his masterclass. French fighter jets flew above at the movie’s Cannes premiere, which was followed by a five-minute standing ovation.
From Rotten Tomatoes, see what more critics are saying:
Like the hyper-competent aces at the story’s core, this is a movie that defines its lane early and sticks to it, with finesse, unfussy style and more than a few sneak attacks of emotion.
Ann Hornaday – Washington Post
A thrilling, catch-your-breath action blockbuster that dazzles with its weighty, daredevil aerial sequences, actual emotional stakes and a charm-laden performance from Cruise that reminds everyone why he is one of the remaining bona fide movie stars.
Wenlei Ma – News.com.au
Scene for scene, it’s a better time than Top Gun. More nimble, more exciting, more soulful.
A.A. Dowd – Digital Trends
Top Gun: Maverick is now playing in theaters across the country.