Top Gun: Maverick has done yet another close fly-by over a key benchmark, redeeming not only the career of its sometimes controversial Scientologist star, Tom Cruise, but the theatrical window in general.
Entering the long Labor Day weekend, the film had already become the top-moving digital sell-through title of all time, according to Paramount. The movie studio didn't reveal how many customers have bought the title for $19.99 since Maverick's sell-through window started on August 23, or how much revenue those purchases generated.
Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), which tracks digital sell-through and other home video revenue streams using data provided by the studios, said Maverick displaced Jurassic World Dominion at No. 1 on the transactional video charts, but also didn't release any specific numbers.
Last year, digital sell-through generated just over $2.42 billion domestically. That's nothing like the $16.3 billion generated by U.S. DVD sales in 2005, which was the zenith of the DVD craze. But solid performances in all these niche markets are certainly adding up for Maverick, which becomes available for digital rental, as well as DVD and Blu-ray sales and rentals, on Nov. 1.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski and recasting exec producer Cruise into the role of U.S. Navy fighter pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, the deftly developed sequel to 1986 action-movie classic Top Gun has generated $701.2 million at the domestic box office, and $1.441 billion globally, since its release on Memorial Day weekend in late May.
That's the best box-office performance of Cruise's storied career, as well as the sixth-best global theatrical bounty of all time. ■
