“Top Gun: Maverick” has truly been a movie for the record books, and it just set another one over Labor Day weekend.
Unbelievably, the movie topped box office ticket sales in North America, making it the first one in history to win both Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, according to Breitbart.
At the beginning of the summer, “Maverick” set the record for a Memorial Day weekend release, taking in over $160 million domestically. It also marked the first $100 million+ opening weekend of actor Tom Cruise’s 40-year career.
Last weekend, the film also surpassed “Black Panther” to become the fifth-highest-grossing domestic release ever, with over $700 million in sales.
“Maverick” accomplished its most recent feats despite being available for purchase to stream at home as of Aug. 23.
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Variety reported that the blockbuster sequel “roared into the record books as the No. 1 best-selling digital sell-through title ever in the U.S. in its first week of release.”
“In addition, the digital release of the film was the top-selling item on Amazon in the U.S. across every category on the day of its release,” the outlet reported.
Box Office Mojo reported that “Maverick” has taken in over $1.4 billion in ticket sales worldwide to date.
The movie has clearly resonated with audiences all over the world, with its strong patriotic story, great action and, of course, Cruise in the lead.
Have you seen “Top Gun: Maverick”?
A central message of “Maverick” is not to count America out: It’s still a force for good and security in a turbulent and violent world. After all, what does a U.S. aircraft carrier represent but a nation’s military might and presence?
The mission that Cruise’s character — U.S. Navy Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell — oversees is the attack of a soon-to-be operational nuclear facility in what is identified as a “rogue” nation. Iran immediately comes to mind.
At the beginning of the movie, Adm. Chester Cain, played by Ed Harris, tells Maverick that his days are numbered. He’s a dying breed.
Maverick’s response is perhaps a slight concession that the day may come, but “not today.”
There are so many things that work in the film, including the love story subplot between Mitchell and Penny Benjamin, played by Jennifer Connelly.
The friendships between Maverick and Adm. Tom “Iceman” Kazansky (Val Kilmer) and Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw (Miles Teller), both forged in combat, are powerful too.
The original “Top Gun” carried the box office crown in 1986, and “Maverick” looks well-poised to do the same this year.
The only obstacle seemingly on the horizon is another sequel: “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” set for a November release.
We shall see.
In the meantime, “Maverick” was just what a country and a world hungry for optimism and patriotism needed.
A version of this article originally appeared on Patriot Project.
