'Top Gun: Maverick' Starts Production
FEEL THE NEED: Cruise’s announcement deserves Harold Faltermeyer's iconic "Top Gun Anthem” treatment
The announcement for Paramount’s highly-anticipated but not necessarily ‘needed’ Top Gun sequel comes courtesy of Tom Cruise. The 55-year-old megastar tweeted a throwback pic featuring Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell overlooking Miramar's iconic F-14 Tomcat fighter jet along with the caption “Day 1”.
Whether or not our Maverick of ‘old’ still stands by the fly by the seat of his pants mantra – I FEEL THE NEED, the need for speed – we can confirm the sequel to Tony Scott’s high-octane gem is officially titled Top Gun: Maverick and will be helmed by Cruise’s Oblivion director Joseph Kosinksi.
Paramount has yet to release any plot details but according to Cruise, fans should be expecting an action-oriented sequel: ❝Aviators are back, the need for speed. We’re going to have big, fast machines. It’s going to be a competition film, like the first one … but a progression for Maverick.❞
Perhaps one of a few questions that come to mind is, what exactly has Mav been up to the past thirty-two years?! I suppose we can speculate on a few scenarios that would put "Maverick" in the instructor's seat and/or out of 'retirement' and into action. The other question is who, if anyone, from 1986’s 'Top Gun' will reprise their roles?
An earlier report from The Hashtag Show, indicates Top Gun: Maverick will feature a new crop of fighter pilots with one prominently featuring Goose (Anthony Edwards) and Carole Bradshaw's (Meg Ryan) now All-American son, Wrigley. His call sign - RIOT. Hashtag also released additional character details and believe it or not, none of them include our beloved call signs Charlie, Iceman, Viper, Jester, Merlin, Wolfman, Slider, Hollywood, or James Tolkian's Stinger. Boo.
'86 original cast member Val Kilmer took to Instagram letting fans know Iceman still has it: "I'm ready Tom - still got my top gun plaque," Kilmer wrote. "Still got the moves! Still got it!" Whether or not we see the return of "Iceman" or other graduates from Miramar's Naval Fighter Weapons School, it's certain Cruise and Bruckheimer have an even larger platform to intermingle new and existing talent in what appears to be a similar political landscape to the events in 1986's 'Top Gun'.
Top Gun: Maverick will be co-written by Peter Craig (The Town, Blood Father) and Justin Marks (The Jungle Book), along with Thor and X-Men First Class writers Ashley E. Miller and Zack Stentz. Harold Faltermeyer is also returning to score!
Top Gun: Maverick is slated to hit theaters on July 12, 2019!
