“Top Gun: Maverick” Passes “Titanic” As Seventh-Highest Grossing Domestic Release Ever
Top Gun: Maverick has sunk Titanic.
Director Joseph Kosinski and star Tom Cruise’s sequel has now surpassed James Cameron’s iconic 1997 film and become the seventh-highest grossing film of all time at the domestic box office, with $662 million in sales. Cameron’s sweeping Titanic hauled in $659 million during its total run, which included re-releases. Maverick is still soaring high after its Memorial Day Weekend release and is also now the biggest film in Paramount Pictures history, nudging Titanic from that perch and sitting atop the studio’s leader board, which includes 110 years of films.
It will take Maverick kicking into a higher gear to catch Titanic globally—Cameron’s film cruised to $2.2 billion worldwide, with $1.5 billion of that scored at the international box office. Maverick, meanwhile, has an almost perfectly even split between its domestic and international gross, with $690 made abroad that, added to its $662 million domestic total, equals $1.3 billion worldwide. Its international haul has not included the major markets of China or Russia.
Next in Maverick‘s sights is the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Infinity War, which made $678 million domestically and sits in the sixth-highest spot, followed by Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther at $700 million, Cameron’s Avatar at $760 million, Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: No Way Home at $804 million, the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Endgame at $853 million, and J.J. Abrams Star Wars: The Force Awakens at $936 million.
Maverick‘s appeal has been multi-layered and goes far beyond mere nostalgia (although it has helped). Incredible (and incredibly real) flight sequences involving the cast, Navy pilots and Navy jets helped create old-school movie magic that was genuinely thrilling. Add to the peerless practical effects a heartfelt story of regret and redemption, and winning performances by the film’s cast (led by Cruise, of course) have created the year’s biggest hit, and now, one of the biggest success stories of all time.
For more on Top Gun: Maverick, check out these stories:
“Top Gun: Maverick” Now the Biggest Film in Paramount Pictures History
How the “Top Gun: Maverick” Sound Team Ingeniously Captured Raw Emotion Mid-Flight
Going to Flight School With “Top Gun: Maverick” Stars Glen Powell & Greg Tarzan Davis
“Top Gun: Maverick” Gets Five-Minute Standing Ovation at Cannes
“Top Gun: Maverick” Soars as Critics Hail Riveting Sequel
Featured image: Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
