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Top Gun: Maverick is the second-highest-grossing film of 2022, right behind Avatar: The Way of Water. The much anticipated Top Gun sequel saw Tom Cruise reprise his role as Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.
In the 1986 movie, Cruise is shown graduating from Top Gun Academy, but in the new film, he plays the role of a test pilot. Top Gun: Maverick is set 30 years after the events of Top Gun. The straightforward plot and brilliant cinematography have managed to propel the movie to the top ranks.
However, the story behind the scenes is a different one and known to just a handful of people.
Top Gun: Maverick lesser known facts
1) Tom Cruise didn't want to make a sequel
For many years, Cruise was not invested in the idea of a Top Gun sequel as he claimed that the 1986 film was "an amusement park ride" and not a real depiction of the Navy.
The actor said that making a sequel would be irresponsible, but surprisingly, the Navy's recruitment rates increased by 500% following the film's premiere.
2) Glen Powell initially hated his character
Glen Powell became a breakout star following the release of Top Gun: Maverick. While many consider him more memorable than the film's other leading man, Miles Teller, very few know that Powell was initially not a fan of his character.
In a conversation with GQ, Powell had said that he viewed his character as "Navy Draco Malfoy". Draco Malfoy was one of the villains in the Harry Potter movies.
3) Kelly McGillis and Meg Ryan were not asked to appear
In the 1986 film, Kelly McGillis played Cruise's love interest, which was a crucial part of the film's entire plot. However, McGillis was not even considered to reprise her role in the latest film. Director Joseph Kosinski revealed why he chose not to cast McGillis again:
"Didn't want every storyline to always be looking backwards."
Similarly, Meg Ryan, who played Goose's wife in the original movie, wasn't included either.
4) CGI is used but minimally
There have been rumors that there is no usage of CGI in Top Gun: Maverick, but that is false. While Tom Cruise insisted on realistic scenes, sequences like enemy missiles firing at the fighter jets are all CGI.
This is because firing real missiles would have been dangerous, and they even come with a hefty price tag. Moreover, finding a location to fire real missiles would have been another troublesome process.
5) Three actors were considered to play Rooster
Miles Teller, Nicholas Hoult, and Glen Powell were all in contention to play Rooster. The actors went to Cruise's home to test their chemistry, and Teller was finalized for the role. Glen Powell impressed Cruise and Jerry Bruckheimer, so he was cast as LT Jake "Hangman" Seresin.
6) The film had five different release dates
Top Gun: Maverick was supposed to be released on July 12, 2019, but a month after filming, the date was pushed to June 26, 2020.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the film's release was pushed again to December 23, 2020, then to July 2, 2021, and next, to November 19, 2021. Finally, the date of May 27, 2022, was agreed upon.
7) Except Cruise and Monica Barbaro, everyone fell sick during its filming
Tom Cruise set up a boot camp to help the actors get used to handling real jets but that made several actors throw up.
Jerry Bruckheimer revealed that aside from Cruise and Monica Barbaro, nobody could handle the grueling boot camp. Almost everyone fell sick and threw up.
8) Joseph Kosinski didn't want a number on the title
In an interview with Polygon, director Joseph Kosinski revealed that the 2022 film was a character-driven story. Hence, he chose the name Top Gun: Maverick, rather than simply calling it Top Gun 2, to highlight the story's human themes.
Kosinski described Top Gun: Maverick as:
"A drama with this giant action film around it."
9) The beach scene was shot twice
In an interview with Collider, Glen Powell revealed that the shirtless beach volleyball montage scene was shot twice because Tom Cruise was not impressed with the first take.
Everyone was forced to hit the gym and lift weights to work on their respective bodies before the scene was refilmed a few weeks later.
10) Lewis Pullman's father also flew a jet in another movie
Lewis Pullman, who plays Bob, is the real-life son of Bill Pullman.
Bill Pullman flew an older version of the F/A-18 Hornet on Independence Day, and while Lewis flew the Hornet, his father required a stunt double.
Top Gun: Maverick was nominated for six awards at the 95th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and received numerous other accolades. It has grossed $1.493 billion worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2022 and the highest-grossing film of Cruise's career.
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