If you feel the need for speed and can’t quite contain your excitement until 25th May (UK), then fret not, we have a list of ‘5 things to know’ about Top Gun: Maverick.
Three decades has passed since the original Top Gun film. It revolutionised the cinematic army genre and became one of the most popular titles in action film history. Now, the iconic story returns with familiar faces and a new generation of high-flying excitement.
Tom Cruise launches back to base as one of the Navy’s top fighter pilots, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. He finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a special mission, unlike anything any pilot has ever seen. Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” and the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”. Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
Hold onto your breath as we unveil the top 5 things to know about Top Gun: Maverick.
1) It is 36 Years Old
Yes you read that right, the original Top Gun film is three decades old! When the film released in 1986, perhaps no-one ever thought that it would become a Hollywood classic. The Paramount Pictures flick raked in $357million+ (Box Office Mojo) worldwide. This ignited Tom Cruise not only a Hollywood superstar, but as a character movie icon that would be eternally recognisable.
The music also had a huge part to play in the success of this eighties feature, with hits such as “Take My Breath Away” (Berlin), “Danger Zone” (Kenny Loggins), and “Hot Summer Nights” (Miami Sound Machine). Try and pretend like you’re not singing “Danger Zone” in your head right now!
Back in the day, there was also speculation around who would play “Maverick”. This might come as a surprise, but Tom Cruise was not the first person on the call sheet. It was to be John Travolta. We’re glad that Mr Cruise hopped into the jet seat instead as this would have been a very different kind of movie.
2) A real Navy Aircraft Carrier was used in Filming
The cast thrust straight into army life when producers announced they would in fact be living on a real life Navy air carrier whilst filming a portion of the film. The carrier belonging to Norfolk (USS Abraham Lincoln) was home to cast for two weeks during filming, and although there was an entire production team on board, this did not disrupt any of the day-to-day activities of the crew.
Keeping on-theme and in true Top Gun style, Tom Cruise landed onto USS Midway via helicopter at the world premiere and then proceeded onto the red carpet. The iconic Navy aircraft carrier docked in San Diego for the special event on 4th May, 2022.
3) No Green Screen
Utilising the best equipment the industry has to offer, there should be no doubt surrounding the quality of the film – the cinematography looks absolutely stunning from what we have seen so far. Director Joe Kosinski explained to Empire magazine that over 800 hours of footage was shot (as much as three Lord of the Rings films).
In a behind-the-scenes pre-release special, Tom Cruise explained how some of the sequences were shot, and how Cruise and his co-stars were given control of a camera inside an actual F-18 fighter jet to capture their scenes. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer insisted on making this movie look real and in doing so, meant more hands-on participation from his cast members than one would normally expect.
Filmmaking technology has advanced drastically over the past 30 years so it will be brilliant to witness this new version and see this mega blockbuster on the big screen. Maverick is shot and optimised for IMAX, meaning you should aim to see it on the biggest and best screen you can!
4) Hands On Experience
In order to get a realistic sense of being a Navy pilot, the stars of Maverick were put through actual Navy training. Tom Cruise was not only an actor on the feature, but as producer he pushed the actors to their limits. Before filming the main cast had to pass the Naval Aviation Survival Training course in San Diego. You could say Tom Cruise takes his work seriously.
In an interview with Men’s Journal, actor Miles Teller explains, “you learn all the protocols you need to go through if you ever have to eject over the ocean. They drag you across the water, they flip you on your back, they want to see you able to get out of your harness and much more. That all leads up to the big test they put you through, which is called “The Dunker,” where they put you into a modified helicopter, strap you to a chair, and then submerge this tank underwater” (Men’s Journal, 2022).
5) Lady Gaga Soundtrack
“Hold My Hand” is the main song featured throughout the film. Produced by Lady Gaga and BloodPop©, with additional production by Benjamin Rice. The accompanying music video directed by Top Gun: Maverick’s director Joe Kosinski expands and expresses the magnitude of the film and hits hard as a proper power ballad, perfect for this type of film. The motion picture version of the song features production and score by Harold Faltermeyer and Hans Zimmer (Academy Award Winner).
In the music video Gaga channels her inner aviator goddess wearing Tom Cruise’s actual jacket from the original film. This oozes plenty of nostalgia and radiates serious 80’s vibes. Fans of the original are going to love this!
Click here to watch the epic music video. It features scenes from the original Top Gun (1986) as well as Top Gun: Maverick.
Top Gun: Maverick is out on Wednesday 25th May. Tickets can be booked for various cinema outlets now.
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