It looks like Tom Cruise and Paramount Pictures are ready to drop the theater exclusive label from Top Gun: Maverick as the film will become available for digital purchase next week. However, those looking for physical media will have to wait until November.
Despite Top Gun: Maverick being more than ready for a premiere since the summer of 2020, pandemic and enforced delays kept the movie under wraps until last May due to Cruise and the studio believing the Top Gun: Maverick was well-deserving of a proper theatrical run. That gamble certainly paid off for all parties, as Joseph Kosinski's Top Gun: Maverick has easily become 2022’s highest-grossing film by a comfy margin, currently sitting at $1.379 billion worldwide and shattering some records set by Marvel Studios' Avengers along the way.
Still, it looks like Paramount is set to make some more revenue from Top Gun: Maverick because the August 23 digital release does not include it streaming for free on Paramount Plus just yet. Instead, the film will be sold for $19.99 on platforms such as Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube, Microfost Store, Vudu, AMC Theatres, and Xfinity. The announcement did not point to any possible release on streaming, but those who purchase the film on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray, and DVD starting November 1 will be treated to tons of bonus content.
Most of the extra content will come packed in with the Blu-Ray edition, and though no extra scenes were announced, it does feature plenty of behind-the-scenes material. Also included is exclusive footage featuring Cruise discussing his passion for flying, panels from the Cannes Film Festival, training insights with the actors, Lady Gaga and One Republic's music videos for the film, and even the teaser trailer for next year’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. The 4K Ultra HD comes bundled with access to a digital copy of the film, Dolby Atmos soundtrack remixed for home viewing pleasure, Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR), and a separate collector’s steel book version.
With no Paramount Plus release date on the horizon, November would seem like the most logical moment to drop the movie for free on streaming, although it’s hard to blame the studio for cashing in on the film industry’s biggest success story in 2022. Besides the usual share of MCU movies, and with Prey relegated to Hulu, very few films in recent memory have attained such critical acclaim with earnings to back it up, so no wonder Top Gun: Maverick is a Tarantino favorite.
Top Gun: Maverick will be available for digital purchase on August 23, with physical media releasing on November 1, 2022.
Source: Top Gun/Twitter