According to current metrics, “Top Gun: Maverick” is the most-watched movie on Paramount+, beating out more recent offerings like “Novocaine” and “Heart Eyes” three years after it became a massive theatrical hit, both critically and financially, when it debuted in May 2022. Looper’s review of the “Top Gun” legacy sequel praised it for being incredibly entertaining beyond mere nostalgia value, and “Maverick” dominated the box office, earning over $1 billion throughout its run.
The latter point was of particular interest to Steven Spielberg, who feels that the film saved movies as we know them. In 2023, according to Variety, Spielberg ran into Tom Cruise, who reprises his role of hotshot pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell from the 1986 original. “You saved Hollywood’s ass and you might have saved theatrical distribution,” the legendary filmmaker told Cruise. And he couldn’t stop with the showers of praise, adding: “Seriously, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ might have saved the entire theatrical industry.”
COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 shuttered many theaters, and the industry has had a tough time bouncing back. Coupled with the rise of streaming, many people seem content with waiting for a new movie to come out on streaming a few months after its theatrical release rather than buying a movie ticket. But “Top Gun: Maverick” got butts in seats once more and proved people still wanted genuine theatrical experiences.
Steven Spielberg saw what made Top Gun: Maverick special
“Top Gun: Maverick” wasn’t the first film to break $1 billion at the box office post-COVID. That honor belongs to “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which came out in December 2021. However, a Spider-Man film doing well wasn’t a shock no matter what the state of the world was, especially one which brought back previous incarnations Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. “Top Gun” also had nostalgia going for it, but not to the same degree, and a legacy sequel wasn’t guaranteed to be a box office success in an uncertain theatrical climate.
“Maverick” was an example of people turning out for a good movie. The film received rave reviews and had stunning practical effects — when you see a cool aerial maneuver in the film, there’s an actual jet and pilot doing that. In an era marked by copious and often rushed VFX, “Top Gun: Maverick” was a breath of fresh air. It felt like the kind of film that rewarded seeing it on the biggest screen possible, and it also didn’t hurt that Paramount didn’t send it to streaming after two or three months like so many studios are prone to do now. “Maverick” landed on Paramount+ in December 2022, giving it a lengthy theatrical window to make as much at the box office as possible.
Given the film’s box office dominance, it’s perhaps no surprise that “Top Gun 3” is in the works. The question is whether people will show up to see it in theaters in the same droves as “Maverick” — but we have a feeling that Steven Spielberg will be first in line to buy a ticket.
