Tom Cruise's 10 Biggest Opening Weekend Box Office Movies

Published Oct 2, 2026, 4:45 PM EDT Cooper Hood is the Associate Editor for all new movie releases, in theaters and on streaming. In addition to writing articles about these titles and upcoming releases, he also oversees content planning for each, ensuring that ScreenRant continues to cover major releases for months after their release. He has written various reviews for ScreenRant that appear on Rotten Tomatoes, coordinated Oscars and San Diego Comic-Con coverage, appeared on CNN to talk about Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, and done select interviews with talent over the years. Tom Cruise is accustomed to starring in some of the biggest movies in the world, which is why several of his blockbusters have had excellent opening weekends at the domestic box office. From very early on in his career, Cruise's best movies proved to be ones audiences would rush to see as soon as they hit theaters and return to for weeks. Throughout the 1980s, Cruise built up his starpower with hits like Risky Business, Top Gun, Cocktail, Rain Man, and Born on the Fourth of July. That allowed his movies to become consistently strong performers throughout the 1990s. He's managed to reach new heights in the 21st century, including Cruise's box office peak. The A-list movie star hasn't been immune to the occasional box office bomb. That is the path he's on with his ambitious 2026 film, as Digger's opening weekend box office projections look grim. While that black satirical comedy may not connect with audiences on a large scale, Cruise has had plenty of movies that have been must-see events upon their debut. His movies with the biggest opening weekend at the domestic box office range from 1990s hits to more modern blockbusters. The following 10 movies are ranked by their unadjusted domestic opening weekend, as the ranking would look quite different if adjusting for inflation. 10 Oblivion ©Universal Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection Cruise went to sci-fi with director Joseph Kosinski in 2013 to make Oblivion. The movie opened at #1 in America with $37 million. That proved to be a solid start for the film, which made $89.1 million domestically and $286.1 million worldwide overall. Oblivion either just broke even or turned a slight profit off its $120 million budget. While it comes in at #10 on this list, it would miss a spot if you factor in inflation. Oblivion​​​​​'s adjusted opening weekend box office is $51.5 million. That puts it at #13 for Cruise, with movies like The Firm, Minority Report, and Interview with the Vampire all leapfrogging the 2013 sci-fi film when adjusted for inflation. 9 Mission: Impossible Mission: Impossible only became a franchise because of how successful the first movie was in 1996. It debuted to $45.4 million, which was Cruise's highest-grossing opening weekend at the time. Mission: Impossible went on to make $180.9 million domestically and $457.6 million worldwide. The performance is far better than the #9 finish indicates. If we adjust Mission: Impossible's box office for inflation, its opening weekend rises to $116.2 million. That is the third-largest of Cruise's career. 8 Mission: Impossible III Returning as Ethan Hunt has brought Cruise lots of success, as this list will show. Mission: Impossible III was another big win for him in 2006, as it opened to $47.7 million domestically. That propelled it to a $134 million gross in America and a $398.4 million haul globally. The threequel's figures were a tad disappointing, as it scored franchise-low totals. With 20 years passing since Mission: Impossible III, its standing improves slightly when adjusting for inflation. Its opening weekend nearly doubles to $82.4 million domestically, which is the sixth-best result for one of Cruise's movies. 7 Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning launched the beginning of the end for the action franchise with a bang. The seventh entry opened to $54.6 million domestically. It didn't have quite as much staying power as previous entries (a combination of its now-removed Part One subtitle and opening a week before the Barbenheimer phenomenon), leaving it to make $172.6 million in America and $571.1 million worldwide. As so little time has passed since Dead Reckoning, its standing diminishes when inflation is considered. The opening weekend total only rises by about $2 million. That puts it at #12 among Cruise's filmography, which makes it the second-lowest opening for the Mission: Impossible movies adjusted for inflation. 6 Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation After bringing the franchise back with a force in Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, Cruise returned as his iconic spy four years later to more success. Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation made $55.5 million in its opening weekend domestically. It went on to make $195 million domestically and $710.9 million globally, which was a high mark for the series at the time. Rogue Nation's position falls a few spots from #6 to #8 when adjusting for inflation. Its updated opening would be $74.4 million, knocking it behind multiple Mission: Impossible movies it otherwise beat. 5 Mission: Impossible II Mission: Impossible II was a huge movie for Cruise upon its release in 2000. The actor's first sequel became a massive hit, opening to $57.8 million in America, which was his highest opening weekend. Audiences continued to support the movie afterward, helping its box office totals climb to $215.4 million domestically and $546.3 million globally, making it Cruise's only movie to finish as a year's highest-grossing film. While it comes in at #5 on this list, Mission: Impossible II jumps all the way up to #2 if adjusted for inflation. It made the equivalent of $121.3 million today in its first three days. So even though Mission: Impossible II is just cracks the top 5 officially, its true success is much greater. 4 Mission: Impossible — Fallout Mission: Impossible — Fallout made $61.2 million in its opening weekend in 2018. The movie went on to make $824.1 million worldwide, $220.1 million of which came from its domestic total. The global total was more than enough to become Cruise's highest-grossing movie for several years. Adjusting Fallout's box office for inflation takes it down a few spots, though. Its domestic opening increases to $76 million, but that is the seventh-best for Cruise. 3 Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning The actor's last time playing the IMF agent went rather well. Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning posted the franchise's best opening weekend by making $64 million over its opening weekend; that number jumps to $79 million over the four-day Memorial Day weekend debut. Despite that high launch, The Final Reckoning wound up finishing with only $197.4 million domestically and $598.7 million worldwide. There is no notable movement for The Final Reckoning's opening weekend when adjusted for inflation. As a result, it falls from #3 to #11 among Cruise's movies overall. 2 War Of The Worlds Breaking away from the Mission: Impossible domination of this chart, Cruise's reunion with Steven Spielberg really caught audiences' attention. Their 2005 adaptation of War of the Worlds was a massive event, generating $64.8 million in ticket sales domestically over its opening weekend. It went on to gross $234.2 million domestically and $603.8 million globally. These totals are much higher when adjusting for inflation. War of the Worlds made what amounts to $114.4 million nowadays during its debut. That is only good for #4 all-time for the actor, as Mission: Impossible II and Mission: Impossible move ahead. 1 Top Gun: Maverick The undisputed biggest opening weekend of Cruise's career came with Top Gun: Maverick. He made audiences wait over 30 years to see Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell get back in the cockpit, and that built-up anticipation resulted in a record-setting $126.7 million debut. Top Gun: Maverick continued its record-breaking box office run from there, grossing $721.9 million in America and $1.5 billion worldwide - both of which are all-time highs for Cruise. Rank Tom Cruise Movie Opening Weekend Box Office O.W. Box Office Adjusted For Inflation 1) Top Gun: Maverick $126.7 million $136.0 million 2) War of the Worlds $64.8 million $114.4 million 3) Mission: Impossible —The Final Reckoning $64.0 million $64.0 million 4) Mission: Impossible — Fallout $61.2 million $76.0 million 5) Mission: Impossible II $57.8 million $121.3 million 6) Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation $55.5 million $74.4 million 7) Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning $54.6 million $56.5 million 8) Mission: Impossible III $47.7 million $82.4 million 9) Mission: Impossible $45.4 million $116.2 million 10) Oblivion $37.0 million $51.5 million Even with only a few years passing, Top Gun: Maverick gets a nearly $10 million bump to its opening weekend when adjusting for inflation. That is not even necessary to keep the sequel atop Tom Cruise's box office ranking. It's $126.7 million unadjusted debut is still bigger than any other movie's launch with inflation; although it's only a $5 million difference. Birthdate July 3, 1962 Birthplace SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, USA Occupation(s) Actor, Producer Notable Projects Top Gun, Mission Impossible First On-Screen Role Endless Love (1981) Birthname THOMAS CRUISE MAPOTHER IV