HOLLYWOOD - In an unusually close box office battle, “Elvis and “Top Gun: Maverick” have tied for first place at the movies, with each film bringing in $30.5 million over the weekend.

Regardless of which film wins, it’s a strong result for both. For “Elvis,” a $30 million debut is impressive for a movie catering to older audiences. For “Maverick,” it’s almost unheard of for a movie to generate $30 million in its fifth weekend of release.

Overall, it’s encouraging at the box office as five movies are putting up sizable results. Four — “Elvis” and a fellow newcomer, Universal’s Blumhouse thriller “The Black Phone,” as well as holdovers “Maverick” and Universal’s “Jurassic World Dominion,” each grossed $20 million or more, while a fifth, Disney’s Pixar film “Lightyear,” came close with $17 million.

Ticket sales aren’t far off from pre-COVID projections. The healthy box office returns come as audiences have reportedly started to feel safer than ever going to their local cinema. According to a study by the National Research Group, 88% of moviegoers are “very or somewhat comfortable” going to the movies — marking a new all-time high. Around a year ago, that percentage was closer to 59%.

After two weeks in first place, “Jurassic World Dominion” slid to the No. 3 spot.

“The Black Phone” opened in fourth place.

In fifth place, Disney’s “Lightyear” suffered a steep 65% decline from its opening Variety reported.

Story Date: July 5, 2022