Top Gun: Maverick continues to shatter expectations, with the sequel earning $32.5 million in IMAX theaters internationally. This propelled the Tom Cruise sequel to secure the largest Memorial Day weekend total for IMAX, in addition to securing several other impressive records. $21 million of Maverick's IMAX total in North America accounted for 14% of its domestic haul, which is impressive and speaks to audience's eagerness to see the film's action and scale on the biggest screens possible.

These numbers also further justify the sequel, as it was filmed specifically for IMAX. Globally, Maverick earned $28.2 million globally and $17.8 million domestically in IMAX. Across theaters globally, the film secured $248 million, with $151 million of that coming domestically across the four-day weekend. In IMAX theaters, the sequel nabbed the biggest opening weekend ever for a Tom Cruise film, as well as the biggest Memorial Day weekend opening ever. This film truly couldn't have come at a better time, and is certainly worthy of these accolades. Both critics and audiences alike have enjoyed this film and the theatergoing experience it offers.

IMAX is continuing to ride their high from the end of 2021, which saw the immersive filming/screening format have its best fourth quarter at the box office since 2017. Five major releases, all filmed for IMAX, earned more than $25 million in IMAX theaters. Spider-Man: No Way Home topped that list with $83.1 million, while Dune and No Time to Die followed with $43.9 million and $43.7 million, respectively. Earlier this year, IMAX reached $10 billion in its lifetime box office, aided in larger part by Warner Bros. and their DC film, The Batman.

top gun maverick tom cruise
Image via Paramount Pictures

Related: 'Top Gun: Maverick' Director Joseph Kosinski Breaks Down Why You Have to See It in IMAX

Maverick could just be the start of another promising year for this large screen format, as there are several other major films slated for release. Namely, Thor: Love and Thunder, Jordan Peele's Nope, and Creed 3 were filmed in IMAX, just as Maverick was. Aside from those films, there are also several others which lend themselves to this kind of theatrical experience, with James Cameron's Avatar 2: The Way of Water topping that list. Jurassic World: Dominion, Lightyear, Bullet Train, and Black Adam are some other films that will more than likely pull in some large totals in this format later this year.

Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, had the following to say about Maverick's impressive totals in IMAX theaters:

"If you thought movies were dead, go see 'Top Gun: Maverick' and then let me know what you think. This film heralds the return of the summer blockbuster and is a catalyst that will accelerate demand for moviegoing like an F-18 breaking the sound barrier. There's no way you sit in a theater, with a huge screen and chest-pounding speakers, and come away thinking there's any other way you want to experience 'Top Gun: Maverick,' and our hats are off to Tom Cruise, Joe Kosinski, and their fearless creative team for what they've accomplished."

Top Gun: Maverick is now in theaters.