In rare box office dance-off, Baz Luhrmann’s biopic Elvis and Top Gun: Maverick tied for the weekend crown with an estimated $30.5 million each. The winner won’t be declared until Monday morning when final grosses are tallied. (THR)
Elvis, starring newcomer Austin Butler as Elvis Presley, came into the weekend with expectations closer to $25 million. Among recent music biopics, a $30.5 million debut puts the King ahead of the pace of Elton John (Rocketman launched with $25.7 million in 2019) though not in the same class as Freddie Mercury (Bohemian Rhapsody opened with $51.1 million in 2018). (AP)
Overall, it was an encouraging weekend at the box office as five movies put up sizable results. Four—Elvis—and a fellow newcomer, The Black Phone, as well as holdovers Top Gun: Maverick and Jurassic World Dominion, each grossed $20 million or more, while a fifth, Disney’s Pixar film Lightyear, came close with $17 million. (Variety)
Top Gun: Maverick has raced past the $1 billion mark worldwide, becoming only the second movie of the pandemic era to reach such rarefied air—and Tom Cruise’s first time to the milestone in a career that has spanned 40 years. (Deadline)