AMC Entertainment, Paramount Shares Fight For ‘Top Gun’ Liftoff As Market Battles Economic Woes

deadline.com:

Stocks fell broadly on economic jitters with AMC Entertainment and Paramount struggling to stay in the green in late morning trade after the biggest Memorial Day movie opening ever in Top Gun: Maverick.Things change fast lately on a Wall Street buffeted by the latest news on war, inflation and interest rates, so this is not the last word for today’s session — the first since Friday and the blowout performance of the Tom Cruise action film that’s great news for movie theaters and for Paramount.The Joseph Kosinski-directed sequel to Cruise’s 1986 turn as Navy fighter pilot Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, took in more than $153 million over the four-day weekend, topping the previous record holder for the frame, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, from 2007.

It also blew past forecasts in a theatrical sector that’s still struggling to recover from Covid induced closures, a shifting release schedules and consumer reluctance, especially among older demos.

Extra good new is that a big chunk of the Top Gun audience was over 35.Shares of giant chain AMC are changing hands at about $14.75, up about 2%.

The stock had surged 10% in premarket trade but fell at the open, dipping briefly into the red.Paramount Global shares are up about 0.5% at $34.