"Elvis" has officially stolen the number one box office spot from "Top Gun: Maverick."
On Sunday, the films shared the top spot with $30.5 million in weekend ticket sales. Monday’s figures revealed "Elvis" came out on top, grossing $31.1 million.
Austin Butler, who stars as Elvis Presley in the Baz Luhrmann film "exceeded expectations." David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research wrote in a newsletter,
“‘Elvis’ was a risky proposition: the music is dated, the character is not directly familiar, and the lead actor is unproven on the big screen.”
It was also predicted that the film would make closer to $25 million, similar to "Rocketman," which portrayed the life of musician Elton John. However, "Elvis" has been widely successful as Butler wooed viewers internationally. Gross continued in his statement,
“But critics and audiences are responding. This is the Baz Luhrmann show, a music, dance and sex appeal spectacular — it’s a hit.”
The story of "Elvis" takes on a different perspective than what fans had anticipated. Though it features the journey of Presley's stardom, it portrays the twisted perspective of his corrupted manager, Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks.
The most successful films following the pandemic catered towards a younger audience. "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Elvis" prove this trend wrong. With the help of the films’ talented leads, they not only appeal to younger viewers, but welcome back older fans.
Distribution chief for Warner Bros Jeff Goldstein said in a statement that he's delighted by the success of the competing films.
“I'm less concerned with who's number one and who's number two, and I'm more concerned that we hit this big number given that this audience has been the slowest to return to movie theaters," Goldstein said.
