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Top Gun: The long-awaited sequel is an important box office hit

Top Gun: The long-awaited sequel is an important box office hit

No points for second place‍****

Top Gun: Maverick has taken off at theatres, raking in $156m in the US over the extended Memorial Day weekend. That haul not only breaks the previous record for the holiday from 2007, but it also marks Tom Cruise's own personal record for a box office weekend debut — which is good going for an actor that is sixth on the all-time list of highest grossing actors.

With sky-high ratings — 8.7 / 10 on IMDB and 96% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes — the coming weeks are likely to see Top Gun: Maverick go on to become one of the biggest box office hits of the year. That's important because Top Gun is pretty much the first non-superhero movie to be a really big hit since the pandemic.

As we highlighted two weeks ago, the superhero genre (in particular Marvel), has kept the box office in business over the last two years, leaving many to wonder whether non-superhero movies could thrive at the box office post-pandemic. Last weekend proves they can — even if Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is hardly a flagship character of the MCU, brought in some 73% more than Top Gun: Maverick managed on its first day.

The nostalgia factor

What's particularly exciting is that the equally quotable sequel to Top Gun proved to be a draw for the generation who were teenagers when the first movie came out. Indeed more than half of the attendees (55%) were over 35. Back in 1986, the original movie reportedly led to a 500% increase in applications to become naval aviators — maybe the same people can apply again.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy. 

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

business

Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the 10-4 program internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmarts own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

business

Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

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