It’s rather fitting that the blockbuster that could be Paramount’s biggest box office hit in over a decade is a sequel to “Top Gun,” the film that cemented Tom Cruise’s status as a global movie star and to this day stands as the biggest box office hit of his decades-long career, when adjusted for inflation.
When “Top Gun” came out in 1986, Cruise had already had his breakthrough hit with “Risky Business” three years prior. But at a time long before today’s front-loaded box office norm, Cruise wasn’t yet the sort of star who prompted millions to turn out on opening weekend.