Older Demos Finally Return to the Theater for 'Top Gun: Maverick'

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the main worry was whether or not the older demographics, who are most susceptible to the COVID-19 pandemic, would return to the theaters. As theaters struggled and box office numbers were down, we consistently saw only young people venturing out. But Top Gun: Maverick changed all of that.

Now we know that 55% of Top Gun: Maverick's opening weekend came from people over 35. 

For the first time since 2019, we have a movie whose majority of its box office came from people over 35 years of age. With an estimated $124 million domestic and $151 million international, it also had one of the largest Memorial Day weekend openings ever. 

Another big stat—this is the largest opening for a non-comic book movie since 2019, as well.

Theaters are trying to make money and stay open, and this is a positive sign for what might come in the summer. (Check out more of our recent box-office coverage to see what trends are changing this year.)

This also bodes well for filmmakers. It means that movies geared toward adults have a box office draw, albeit with star power intact. Sure, this is a sequel to a popular movie, but it's a movie that holds a special place for adults. The original came out 36 years ago, after all. This could also mark the start of studios recognizing it might be time to go back to a market they've largely left behind. Especially because movies to service them tend to be a bit cheaper to make.

But this is all speculation. Time will tell. Let us know your theories in the comments.