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Tom Cruise’s envelope-pushing, legendary Navy test pilot character in “Top Gun: Maverick ” opened at 4,735 locations in time for the Memorial Day weekend and is projected to earn $150 million in domestic box office ticket sales, Variety reported.
The movie’s three-day projected haul of $123 million -- and the four-day prediction of $150 million -- would top the record of $139 million set by Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” in 2007, according to The Hollywood Reporter .
Read More It is the widest theatrical release in North American history, and the 1983 sequel to “Top Gun ” is bringing in record-breaking numbers for Paramount Pictures, the entertainment outlet reported.
Those projected figured would also be a record for Cruise, whose previous best was a $64.8 million opening for “War of the Worlds” in 2005, Variety reported.
“Top Gun: Maverick” lifted off quickly, drawing $51.8 million on Friday -- a number that included a $19.3 million haul on Thursday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Those numbers were records for Paramount Pictures, whose previous high was $51.2 million for “Iron Man 2″ in 2005, Variety reported.
In “Top Gun: Maverick,” Val Kilmer reprises his role as rival “Iceman,” while Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Ed Harris also star, the entertainment outlet reported. Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman and Monica Barbaro play the roles of young pilots that Cruise’s character is training for combat.
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Britain's Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, are accompanied by star actor Tom Cruise, right, as they attend the "Top Gun Maverick" UK premiere at a central London cinema, on Thursday, May 19, 2022. (Dan Kitwood/Pool via AP)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Britain's Prince William and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, are accompanied by star actor Tom Cruise, right, as they attend the "Top Gun Maverick" UK premiere at a central London cinema, on Thursday, May 19, 2022. (Dan Kitwood/Pool via AP)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Britain's Prince William, center left, and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, center right, attend the "Top Gun Maverick" UK premiere at a central London cinema, on Thursday, May 19, 2022. (Dan Kitwood/Pool via AP)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and actor Tom Cruise (left) acknowledge the crowd as they attend the "Top Gun: Maverick" Royal Film Performance at the Odeon Leicester Square on May 19, 2022, in London. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Tom Cruise attends the Royal Film Performance and UK Premiere of "Top Gun: Maverick" at Leicester Square on May 19, 2022, in London. (Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Tom Cruise attends the Royal Film Performance and UK Premiere of "Top Gun: Maverick" at Leicester Square on May 19, 2022, in London. (Lia Toby/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Jennifer Connelly attends the UK Premiere and Royal Film Performance of "Top Gun: Maverick" at Leicester Square on May 19, 2022, in London. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Greg Tarzan Davis attends the UK Premiere and Royal Film Performance of "Top Gun: Maverick" at Leicester Square on May 19, 2022, in London. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Miles Teller and Keleigh Sperry attend the Royal Film Performance and UK Premiere of "Top Gun: Maverick" at Leicester Square on May 19, 2022, in London. (Lia Toby/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Jay Ellis attends the UK Premiere and Royal Film Performance of "Top Gun: Maverick" at Leicester Square on May 19, 2022, in London. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Danny Ramirez attends the UK Premiere and Royal Film Performance of "Top Gun: Maverick" at Leicester Square on May 19, 2022, in London. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Jon Hamm attends the UK Premiere and Royal Film Performance of "Top Gun: Maverick" at Leicester Square on May 19, 2022, in London. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Lewis Pullman attends the UK Premiere and Royal Film Performance of "Top Gun: Maverick" at Leicester Square on May 19, 2022, in London. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Hayley Atwell attends the UK Premiere and Royal Film Performance of "Top Gun: Maverick" at Leicester Square on May 19, 2022, in London. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Juno Temple attends the UK Premiere and Royal Film Performance of "Top Gun: Maverick" at Leicester Square on May 19, 2022, in London. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Photos: Kate Middleton, Prince William join 'Top Gun: Maverick' stars on red carpet Christopher McQuarrie, Jerry Bruckheimer, Danny Ramirez, Glen Powell, Miles Teller, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Jay Ellis, Lewis Pullman, Greg Tarzan Davis, Joseph Kosinski, and David Ellison attend the UK Premiere and Royal Film Performance of "Top Gun: Maverick" at Leicester Square on May 19, 2022, in London. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)