LOS ANGELES (BLOOMBERG) - Top Gun: Maverick passed US$1 billion (S$1.39 billion) in global ticket sales, according to Paramount Pictures, becoming the highest-grossing film ever for actor Tom Cruise and marking the best year for the studio since 2014.

The film has grossed more than US$520 million in North America and more than US$486 million internationally, Paramount said Monday (June 27) in an email.

It's the biggest movie for the studio, part of Paramount Global, since Transformers: Age Of Extinction in 2014.

The picture, co-produced and co-financed with Skydance Media, was the only major release to exceed expectations last weekend, according to Bloomberg Intelligence, which predicts consumer spending may slow amid soaring inflation.

That's despite a packed and diverse slate of upcoming theatrical releases.

Through the weekend, North American ticket sales for all movies have more than tripled to US$3.6 billion in 2022 from a year earlier. Revenue remains about a third below 2019 levels, according to Bloomberg Intelligence.