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Top Gun: Maverick Shatters Paramount+ Viewership Records
Following one of 2022's most successful box office runs, Top Gun: Maverick continues to take audiences by storm, as it shattered Paramount+ viewership records to become the streaming services' most-watched film debut. The Joseph Kosinski-helmed long-awaited sequel to Tom Cruise's high-flying 1986 action drama was released in theaters on May 27 to critical acclaim. Top Gun: Maverick saw the return of Cruise's Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, as he grapples with having to train a new generation of skilled pilots for a dangerous operation while also facing a mistake that had haunted him for many years.
As reported by Deadline, Top Gun: Maverick had continued to enjoy further success with audiences following the film's arrival on Paramount+ on December 22, becoming the service's most-watched film debut domestically. Across the holiday weekend, Kosinski and Cruise's sequel surpassed the viewership of 2020's Sonic the Hedgehog's streaming debut by 60%, with both the original film and the star's Mission Impossible franchise receiving similar boosts in viewership of both 400% and 140% respectively. Both Paramount Pictures CEO Brian Robbins and Paramount+ Chief Programming Officer Tanya Giles praised the film's success, citing it as evidence of the potential for the studio's current release strategy.
How Top Gun: Maverick Became One of 2022's Most Successful Films
After enjoying an impressive fifteen weeks at the top of the box office during its initial theatrical run, Top Gun: Maverick surpassed 2018's Black Panther and became the fifth highest-grossing film domestically of all time. By claiming the position, Top Gun: Maverick not only surpassed Black Panther, but fellow MCU hits Avengers: Infinity War and The Avengers, alongside Jurassic World and James Cameron's Titanic. Despite reaching an impressive position on US box office charts, however, the sequel isn't expected to rise further even with a theatrical rerelease, as newer films have attracted audience interest and led to it opening below other films including Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Despite its reign at the top of the box office coming to an end, however, Top Gun: Maverick still stands out as one of 2022's most astounding film success stories. The film's digital release debuted at #1 while still maintaining a strong performance within theaters fifteen weeks into its theatrical run, quickly breaking home release records by becoming one of the biggest digital releases of all time. As such, despite almost 36 years passing since the original film first hit theaters, Top Gun: Maverick has been embraced by viewers, allowing it to not only stand toe-to-toe with current blockbuster franchise juggernauts like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but surpass pre-COVID-19 pandemic hits.
Top Gun: Maverick is undoubtedly one of 2022's most notable success stories. Near-unanimous critical praises and overwhelmingly positive word of mouth gave the sequel a rarely seen long life at the box office, with the sequel receiving praise from the audience,critics, and even being celebrated by Barack Obama, many studios may look to the film in hopes of achieving similar success. And with the film topping Paramont+'s previous streaming records even after strong box office and home release numbers, Top Gun: Maverick has truly left its mark as one of the most notable film successes of recent years.
