The Year’s Best Movie Is Being Re-Released In Theaters
The biggest hit of the year is soaring back onto the big screen. According to Variety, Top Gun: Maverick, even in the midst of an ongoing lawsuit, is headed back to theaters for a limited re-release, and just in time for the holidays. Anyone who missed the record-breaking, high-octane spectacle the first time around will have another chance to see it from December 2 through December 15.
Top Gun: Maverick is already the highest-grossing movie of 2022, which is a record it will most likely keep as the year comes to an end. Avatar: The Way of the Water is the last major release of the year, and it doesn’t open until mid-December. Considering it will only play for two weeks in 2022, James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel would need a miracle to surpass the box-office numbers Maverick put up in such a short time frame.
Speaking of box-office figures, Top Gun: Maverick had the second-highest opening of the year, with an impressive $126.7 million. Even more amazing, however, is the sequel had the smallest second-weekend drop ever for a film with a $100 million opening. By the end of its theatrical run, the movie earned a massive $716.6 million domestically and brought in another $770 million from international territories.
Apart from Jurassic World: Dominion, Top Gun: Maverick is the only other 2022 release to cross the billion-dollar mark, and it was only the second film to do so since 2019. Additionally, even with 50 acting credits to his name over the course of his long career, Maverick is Tom Cruise’s only movie to reach $1 billion. And if that weren’t enough, it’s the only picture to take the number one spot at the domestic box office over both Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays.
Although the folks at Paramount Pictures knew they had a hit on their hands with Top Gun: Maverick, nobody could have anticipated just how successful it would be. In fact, the film proved to be somewhat of a savior for theater owners in a post-pandemic world. With the overall box office down 33% from 2019, exhibitors were desperate for a mega-blockbuster, and they certainly got one with the long-awaited follow-up to the 1986 classic.
Top Gun: Maverick wasn’t just a financial success, but it was also a major hit with critics and everyday audiences alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film is certified fresh with a spectacular score of 96% from reviews by 450 critics. As for traditional viewers, the sequel sits with an incredibly rare score of 99% from over 50,000 user ratings.
It will be interesting to see what kind of numbers Top Gun: Maverick can drum up when it returns to theaters early next month. The sequel is already available to watch on home entertainment, and it’s scheduled to arrive on Paramount+ on December 22. Aside from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the holiday-themed thriller Violent Night, it’s slim pickings at the multiplex, which may prove beneficial for the film’s re-release.
Top Gun: Maverick was originally released on May 27, 2022. The hit follow-up was directed by Joseph Kosinski from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie. The film stars Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Charles Parnell, and Danny Ramirez.
