The speed is hypersonic. But it took Top Gun 36 years to get back to the big screen. The movie that made Tom Cruise a star brings Pete “Maverick” Mitchell back to elite Navy school. Only this time as a teacher. In an interview with Fantastic, Tom Cruise explained the sequel’s delay.
“Wherever I went, people asked for a sequel. It just grew. And I kept thinking, “How do I do something nice for the public and for me?” So it took decades to find something with this potential,” says Tom Cruise.
The pressure was great. “Top Gun” is a pop classic. The film mixed visual innovation with a dose of romance and testosterone.
- Watch the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick
1 of 2 Tom Cruise in a scene from Top Gun: Maverick — Photo: Disclosure
Tom Cruise in a scene from Top Gun: Maverick Photo: Disclosure
Fighters dominated theaters: Top Gun was the highestgrossing film of 1986. The US Navy saw a 500% increase in recruits the following year. No wonder, the Bundeswehr honored Tom Cruise on Wednesday (18th) in Cannes at the crowded premiere at the film festival.
And on an aircraft carrier in San Diego, United States. At the worldwide release of the film, Tom Cruise thanked Lady Gaga for the theme song for “Top Gun: Maverick”. The singer had to face the comparative weight: almost 40 years earlier, the soundtrack to Aces Indomitables made history.
Tom Cruise learned to ride a motorcycle for this film and loves the adrenaline. He’s an actor who doesn’t need stunt doubles. He chased scenes involving motorcycles; pilot helicopter; climbed mountain, airplanes; parachuted from buildings; dodged real swords; and dived without equipment. All just to make the audience hold their breath.
2 of 2 Tom Cruise in a scene from Top Gun: Maverick — Photo: Reproduction/YouTube/ParamountBrasil
Tom Cruise in a scene from Top Gun: Maverick — Photo: Reproduction/YouTube/ParamountBrasil
In the new Top Gun, a Maverick boss makes it clear that pilots will soon be replaced by drones. And technology could wipe out the new generation of actors, too.
Fantastic wanted to know what he thought of an eternal Tom Cruise who continues to act in films after his death.
“Look, I’ve been doing this for 42 years. And all I know is that stories are sovereign. Everyone wants a good story. And there’s nothing like it in a movie,” he says.
“Maverick” goes to extremes in disputes and has what it takes to win fans back quickly. Watch Pedro Vedova’s full report in the video above.
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