Fans of the cult classic Top Gun were excited to hear news of a sequel in the works, with a lot of the original cast returning, including Tom Cruise in the title role of Maverick. Although the movie was set to release this summer, the unexpected lockdown conditions forced its makers to move the release date to December. The film’s director Joseph Kosinski spoke to ComicBook.com about his feelings over the delay.
“We’re sticking to our schedule and finishing the movie just as if it were coming out on its original release date. Luckily, I’m in the home stretch of post-production where, despite all the restrictions of how you can work now, I’m able to continue doing my job and finish the movie, which is pretty amazing. If I were in any other phase of the project, it would be hard to do that, but because I’m in the tail-end of post, I’m able to do everything I need to to be able to to finish it.”
Top Gun: Maverick was among the lucky few live-action films among the current crop that were able to finish shooting before the global lockdown conditions brought the film industry to a grinding halt. This means that only post-production work is left unfinished on the project, which Kosinski and his production team can complete from their homes, allowing them to stick to their original schedule despite the disruptive effects of the lockdown.
“We’re sticking to our schedule and finishing the movie and just holding it for six months, which is such an interesting thing to do but it’s the right decision because this is a movie that people need to see on the big screen and if there’s no big screen, then you don’t want to release this movie. We want this to be a shared experience on as big a screen as possible.”
The story of Top gun: Maverick picks up the narrative thirty years from the point where the original left off. Maverick is still flying daring flight missions for the Navy and avoiding advancements in rank that would prevent him from getting on a plane again. The arrival of the son of his late friend Goose as a new cadet forces Maverick to confront the ghosts from his past while training a fresh batch of recruits for their most dangerous mission yet.
The film has been shot using practical effects, in what Cruise has promised are some of the most daring scenes ever filmed, in keeping with his reputation as Hollywood’s last action star who still goes out there and does the stunts for real instead of relying on CGI and green screens. So apart from the strong nostalgia factor for older viewers, the movie will also offer some breathtaking aerial sequences for the younger crowd.
It is the type of film that was created to be viewed on the big screen, and that is where viewers will hopefully get to see it once it releases. This news comes from ComicBook.com.