LOS ANGELES:
Action drama Top Gun: Maverick has soared to a second huge weekend showing in North American theaters, taking in an estimated $86 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday. That "sensational" number for Paramount's long-awaited Tom Cruise sequel placed it among the top 10 highest-grossing second weekends in domestic box office history, Variety reported. It took in $151 million last weekend.
Boosted by its gripping visuals and unusually positive reviews - especially for a sequel - the Paramount/Skydance film has earned $257 million abroad, the latest sign of Hollywood's recovery from a bleak pandemic period. Maverick picks up the story of now-graying US Navy test pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Cruise) as he trains young aviators for a mission to attack a nuclear facility in a rogue state.
Holding in second place was Disney's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, at $9.3 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period. The global take for the Benedict Cumberbatch film has surpassed $750 million in its five weeks out. 20th Century's animated Bob's Burgers Movie, based on a popular television show, held tight in third place, taking in $4.5 million.
In fourth, up one spot from last weekend, was Universal's family-friendly animation The Bad Guys, at $3.3 million. Focus Features' Downton Abbey: A New Era, based on the wildly popular British series, slipped a spot to fifth place, earning $3 million.
Rounding out the top 10 were:
Everything Everywhere All at Once ($2 million)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 ($1.7 million)
The Lost City ($1.4 million)
Crimes of the Future ($1.1 million)
Watcher ($815,000)