Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick are returning to the theaters for a limited period of time. They are re-releasing to mark the first film’s 40th anniversary, and that film will get a renewed chance to help the franchise reach a major milestone at the domestic box office. We will be analyzing the numbers and the possibility that the Top Gun franchise can reach this major domestic milestone during this re-release. Keep scrolling for the deets.
For the unversed, it is an American action drama film franchise inspired by a 1983 article. The first film was released in 1986, starring Tom Cruise as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, a talented but reckless Navy pilot. The second movie was released in 2022, and the story takes place 36 years after the events of the first film, depicting Maverick’s reluctant return to the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program for reasons from the past.
Top Gun & Top Gun: Maverick’s combined domestic box office total
Top Gun is one of the most popular action dramas in Tom Cruise’s career and his breakthrough movie. Released in 1986, the film grossed $180.2 million at the North American box office over its lifetime, including multiple re-releases. The excitement and thrill around Top Gun: Maverick were high, as Tom Cruise had already become one of the biggest action stars in Hollywood.
Nostalgia, along with Cruise’s star power, hyped up the sequel before its release. It opened with one of the biggest May releases. Top Gun: Maverick collected $126.7 million on its opening weekend and over $718.7 million domestically in its theatrical run. It is the highest-grossing film of Tom Cruise’s career. Adding the domestic totals of the Top Gun movies, the number reaches $898.9 million.
Can the re-release help the franchise push its total past $1 billion in North America?
So, it will be a simple No! Reports suggest Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick will return to theatres on May 13 for a limited one-week run, making a $101 million boost highly unlikely. Even with a generous split of around $50 million per film, the short window restricts their earning potential—something that might have been achievable with a longer run. That said, the franchise is less than $2 million away from the $900 million milestone in North America, a mark it is almost certain to cross during this 40th anniversary re-release.
More about the Top Gun franchise
Top Gun 3, with Tom Cruise in the lead and Jerry Bruckheimer as the producer, is in development at Paramount. But Joseph Kosinski will reportedly not return as the director. With Top Gun 3, the franchise will easily cross the $1 billion milestone domestically.
Note: Box office numbers are based on estimates and various sources. Numbers have not been independently verified by Koimoi.
Stay tuned to Koimoi for more box office updates and stories.
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