It’s been a grueling fight for the top spot at the box office this summer, with several titans released in short succession of one another. Top Gun: Maverick has been breaking its own records at every turn but was faced with a new contender now that Elvis has been released.
The biopic starring Austin Butler as the titular Elvis Presley and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker hit theaters on June 24. It has received high praise from direct relatives of Presley. Meanwhile, Top Gun: Maverick brings back Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, and plenty of nostalgia to defy the stigma associated with sequels. It’s no wonder these two, against the odds, got locked into a tie for first place.
‘Elvis’ ties with then surpasses, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ at the box office
After soaring to new financial heights, Top Gun: Maverick became one of the top blockbusters of the summer, a title it now has to share with Elvis. Maverick had the benefit of Memorial Day weekend sales, which saw it become Cruise’s first movie to net $100,000 in weekend sales. It stayed nestled comfortably at the top for weeks, disrupted briefly by Jurassic World: Dominion. But even raptors didn’t allow that movie to stay as the biggest competition Maverick would see.
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Now that the weekend is over, the numbers are coming in for Elvis. It has earned $31.1 million, exceeding the anticipated $25 million in ticket sales. Those haven’t reached the level of Maverick yet, but new films are expected to enjoy time at the top as eager fans pour in. Checking in with Top Gun: Maverick, Variety reports it earned $29.6 million this same weekend. What makes these numbers doubly remarkable – a note to the success of Elvis and a testament to the ongoing success of Maverick – is that movies that have been out for five weeks don’t usually see this much staying power. But Top Gun: Maverick just passed its fifth weekend out and is still going strong.
What to see this summer
So far, a seat among the top five sees a continual shuffle between Black Phone, Lightyear, Jurassic World: Dominion, Elvis, and Top Gun: Maverick. The sixth installation in the Jurassic series brought back some familiar faces with Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum. The movie enjoyed a spot at No. 1 for two weeks before settling at No. 3.
Black Phone and Lightyear, the latter of which in contrast did not bring back Tim Allen as Buzz, represent spots four and five. So, Iceman and the King are seated at the top, vying for first. Anyone looking for a reason to settle in with a bowl of popcorn still has Rocketman to look forward to, and whatever exciting numbers that brings in.
Have you seen any of these blockbusters, and which was your favorite?
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