The classic series revival turned a $156 million profit in its first weekend.

Memorial Day weekend is often seen as the unofficial kick-off to the summer blockbuster season. It’s the first major three-day weekend of the summer (or at least it’s close enough to summer to count), so any movie that’s looking to get butts in seats will premier on or near it. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Top Gun: Maverick, the modern revival of the classic 1986 film about military fighter jets, took home the gold this Memorial Day, setting an impressive precedent in the process.

In its four-day weekend premier over Memorial Day weekend, Top Gun: Maverick turned a domestic box office profit of $156 million. This is quite a big deal for at least three reasons: first, it’s just a lot of money in general. Second, the profit beat out analyst expectations, who were predicting only $80 million for the opening weekend and $150 million for Memorial Day weekend.

Box Office: ‘Top Gun Maverick’ Breaks Memorial Day Weekend Records With $156 Million https://t.co/u0CqMdv0CH

— Variety (@Variety) May 30, 2022

Third, and most interesting, this premier is also a record-setter. Top Gun: Maverick has set the new record for the highest domestic gross over a Memorial Day weekend, swiping the title from 2007’s Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, which only turned $153 million. This success is proving to be another feather in Paramount’s cap after the success of films like Sonic the Hedgehog 2, The Lost City, and the new Scream.

With high critical reviews across the board, Top Gun will probably continue to make money in subsequent weekends. Even better for Paramount, there aren’t any other major blockbusters on the docket until Universal drops Jurassic World: Dominion on June 9, so this coming weekend will have it running unopposed.