Tom Cruise is on track to do something that seemed unimaginable just one year ago: break the record for the biggest-ever paycheck an actor has ever received. Top Gun: Maverick, the long-awaited sequel to the blockbuster hit Top Gun, is not only giving Hollywood new optimism that movie theaters are safe from the epidemic. It has also placed Tom Cruise on a course to break the record for the biggest-ever paycheck an actor has ever received.
This is already the most successful opening weekend of the actor’s more than 40-year career, and if it continues, it could earn him more than $100 million. This is a number that no one has ever come close to on a single picture since the beginning of the streaming wars.
Tom Cruise Is All Set To Dethrone Will Smith
"Top Gun: Maverick" has brought in $280M+ in just 3 days — and if it maintains this momentum, Cruise could make over $100M from it.
— Boardroom (@boardroom) June 3, 2022
Will Smith currently holds the record for reportedly earning $100M for Men In Black 3, which took in $624M worldwide.
(via @Forbes) pic.twitter.com/hkLbn9ZLYr
And with the release of Tom Cruise’s current film, Top Gun 2, it appears as though the actor will finally make his way to the top of the list of actors who make the most money.
Will Smith and Tom Cruise have both starred in a number of critically acclaimed films over the course of their careers. Smith is best known for his roles in the blockbuster movies Independence Day and Men in Black, while Cruise is best known for his roles in critically acclaimed blockbusters such as Armageddon, Mission: Impossible series, and Top Gun.
According to Forbes, Tom Cruise may soon overtake Will Smith as Hollywood’s highest-paid actor for a single movie. According to reports, Top Gun-2 has grossed over $280 million in just three days, and if the film’s current trajectory continues, Cruise may earn more than $100 million from it.
Tom Cruise Is One Of The Last Real Movie Stars In Hollywood
The 59-year-old actor is frequently referred to be “one of the last real cinematic stars” in Hollywood. Since streaming services have taken over from traditional movie studios as the driving force in Hollywood, he has become somewhat of an anomaly owing to his long-standing command of first-dollar gross on the back end of a picture. To put it another way, Cruise is compensated before the studio.
Amidst the more common huge upfront payments for streaming-only films or lower backends that are paid out when the studio returns a theatrical release’s expenditure, Cruise’s contract is an oddity. Although theaters, screens, and theatrical releases are all expected to shrink in the next years, one industry insider believes that “tentpole movies” will remain a viable option for big-budget films.
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