As we head into the summer 2021 box office season, there’s a lot of major movies in play, and they look to be actually holding their release dates this time around. That’s why it proved to be quite the surprise when Paramount’s Top Gun: Maverick moved once again from its July slot to this November. Reportedly, there’s a solid reason, and it has to do with Tom Cruise.
Paramount made a round of release announcements last Friday that notably included the delay of Top Gun: Maverick from July 2 to November 19, 2021. Apparently the decision wasn’t made to flee its neighboring early July releases, which includes Black Widow and Space Jam: A New Legacy. According to The Hollywood Reporter’s sources, the highly-anticipated sequel was moved in hopes of Tom Cruise venturing on a world tour to promote the movie.
Per the report, Tom Cruise is one of the few big names left in Hollywood who can really buff up a release by appearing on talk shows and premieres across the globe. This summer, it may not be possible for the actor to do his rounds, but this fall is looking more viable. As such, we must wait an additional four months for Top Gun: Maverick.
The studio pushed the release, along with the next installments of Tom Cruise’s other major franchise with Paramount, Mission: Impossible 7 and 8, which are now coming out in May 27, 2022 and July 7, 2023, respectively, instead of November 2021 and November 2022. In Maverick’s place, G.I. Joe spinoff Snake Eyes has now nabbed a late July date, and Universal’s The Forever Purge is coming to theaters on July 2 instead.
Over in November, Top Gun: Maverick will now open alongside Will Smith’s King Richard and come out one week after Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Even though Tom Cruise’s return to his ‘80s character would have been a great addition to the summer box office season, it certainly makes sense that the studio and leading actor would want to give the film its best chance at becoming a success, and a Thanksgiving release could do it! Of course, after a heck of a year, it’s tough to predict that far ahead, but we’re certainly hoping for the best.
The theatrical market just saw some optimism these past few weeks with the release of Godzilla vs. Kong, which has made $338.6 million worldwide so far following its second weekend at the domestic market. It’s well on its way to becoming the most profitable Hollywood film since the pandemic, even though the movie was also released on HBO Max on the same day it hit theaters.
Although we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see Tom Cruise back in the cockpit for his nostalgic sequel, there’s so much to look forward to as far as 2021 theatrical blockbusters are concerned. Check out what’s coming up with this year’s full movie lineup here on CinemaBlend.
