'Top Gun: Maverick' Beats 'Black Panther' Record, Becomes 5th-Highest Grossing Domestic Release Ever

"Top Gun: Maverick" beat expectations and continued to impress at the domestic box office months after its release.

The high-octane, feel-good sequel to the 1986 "Top Gun" classic has officially become the fifth-highest grossing domestic film of all time, after beating "Black Panther's" $700.42 million lifetime haul this weekend.

In its 15th week of release, the Tom Cruise-starrer grossed an impressive $701 million in domestic box office sales. Internationally, the movie secured $740.4 million, bringing its cumulative total to $1.44 billion, Collider reported.

The figures are remarkable for a film that also became available to watch on digital platforms starting Aug. 23. It even debuted as the No. 1 best-selling digital title ever in the U.S. during the first week of its online release.

After being widely praised by movie critics, it's no surprise that "Maverick" became the top-grossing title over the Memorial Day weekend. But it did not end there since the film also remained on top through the Labor Day weekend, making it the only title to ever be No. 1 at the domestic box office for both holidays.

"It's without a doubt, that 'Top Gun: Maverick' is a true cultural touchstone embodying the power of the cinematic experience," Paramount Pictures President and CEO Brian Robbins said in a statement obtained by Deadline.

He continued, "As we celebrate this enormous achievement and the film's massive impact, we want to extend our gratitude to Tom Cruise, our filmmakers and cast, Paramount's marketing and distribution teams, and the legions of both new and longtime 'Top Gun' fans who keep turning out to enjoy this remarkable movie."

The news just comes a day after it was reported that "Top Gun 2" was poised to beat the previous record set by "Black Panther" after crossing the $700-million mark Saturday.

Last month, filmmaker Quentin Tarantino lauded Cruise's action film while speaking on Cinemablend's "ReelBlend" podcast.

"Normally I don't talk about new movies that much because then I'm only forced to say good things, or else I'm slamming someone. And I don't want to do that. But in this case, I f--king love 'Top Gun: Maverick,'" he said.

According to Tarantino, "Maverick" and Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" remake "provided a true cinematic spectacle, the kind that I'd almost thought that I wasn't going to see anymore."

Set 36 years after the original film, the "Top Gun" sequel was originally slated for a 2019 release. However, it got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually hit cinemas on May 27.