'Top Gun' again soars to top of N.America box office
Entertainment
'Top Gun: Maverick' has soared to a second huge weekend showing in North American theaters.
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - 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.
