KUALA LUMPUR: Aviation action-drama sequel movie Top Gun: Maverick soars high 36 years after the original Tom Cruise vehicle exploded in cinemas.
According to AFP, critics are raving that the new movie by Paramount and Skydance was worth the wait with several declaring that Maverick is superior to the original hit.
The much-anticipated movie took in an estimated US$151 million (RM660 million) in North America for the four-day Memorial Day weekend as reported by industry watcher Exhibitor Relations.
Although Maverick was delayed by two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it collected US$124 million (RM542 million) for the first three days of the holiday weekend and took in the same amount overseas, despite not playing in China or Russia.
This makes it Cruise's first ever opening to top the US$100 million (RM437 million) mark.
Analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research said that, "The source material remains strong, the execution is excellent and Tom Cruise makes it work impeccably well."
The movie sees Cruise reprising his role as the cocky navy test pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, now a captain, as he trains to bomb a rogue nation's uranium enrichment facility.
Other cast members include Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller and Jon Hamm, with original Top Gun veteran Val Kilmer making a brief appearance.
At second place is Marvel superhero movie Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness, which in its fourth weekend took in US$16.4 million (RM71.7 million) for the Friday-through-Sunday period and US$21.1 million (RM92.2 million) for the full four days.
The Disney film, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, had opened to a year's best US$187 million (RM817.2 million).
In third spot was 20th Century's new Bob's Burgers Movie. The animated film, based on a popular television show, earned US$12.6 million (RM55 million) for three days and US$15 million (RM65 million) for four.
Focus Features' Downton Abbey: A New Era took fourth place, with US$5.9 million (RM25.8 million) for three days and US$7.5 million (RM32.8 million) for four.
And in fifth was Universal's family-friendly animation The Bad Guys, at US$4.6 million (RM20.1 million) for three days and US$6.1 million (RM26.6 million) for four.