Labor Day Box Office Shakeup: ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Is #1, ‘Spider-Man’ #3

“Top Gun: Maverick” (Paramount) regained the #1 position at the Labor Day weekend box office. In fact, as we suggested in our Sunday recap, the top four look to appear to be in a completely new order.

Normally, Sunday results are easily projected from Friday-Saturday numbers, but the $3 National Cinema Day promotion meant no one was certain which films benefited most from the low prices. The new order is “Top Gun: Maverick” #1, “Bullet Train” (Sony) #2 (was #4), “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (Sony) #3 (was #1), “DC League of Pets” (Warner Bros.) #4 (was #3).

Exact figures and confirmation of the order are still to come from distributors, but “Maverick” and “Bullet” did better than estimated on Sunday, while “No Way Home” and “DC” grossed less.

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Studio estimates for the four-day weekend show the same order. These are likely to hold up.

This upending of initial order is unprecedented, and included what turned out to be a significant overestimation for “No Way Home” from Sony. The re-release with new footage was #1 Friday, but fell to #2 on Saturday.

For “Maverick,” it’s a victory on multiple fronts. Returning to #1 on its 15th week is a rare achievement. It comes with the film also the #1 PVOD film on home platforms. And it comes as the film reaches the $700 million mark in domestic gross.

Sources also indicate that overall business for the three days came in ahead of the initial $52 million total. If so, it suggests that momentum from the eight million ticket buyers Saturday, most at $3, carried over to the next day.

Here’s the current top 10, with specifics and clarifications to be added when all distributors provide final results. Other changes in the rankings are possible.

1. Top Gun: Maverick (Paramount) Week 15; Last weekend #4 – revised gross: $6,000,000
2. Bullet Train (Sony) Week 5; Last weekend #2 – revised gross: $5,715,000
3. Spider-Man: No Way Home (Sony) (reissue) – revised gross: $5,375,000
4. DC League of Super-Pets (WBD) Week 6; Last weekend #6 – revised gross: $5,045,000
5. The Invitation (Sony) Week 2; Last weekend: #1
6. Beast (Universal) Week 3; Last weekend #3
7. Minions: The Rise of Gru (Universal) Week 10; Last weekend #8; also on PVOD
8. Thor: Love and Thunder (Disney) Week 9; Last weekend #9
9. Jaws (Universal) REISSUE
10. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero (Crunchyroll) Week 3; Last weekend #5