This year marks the 30th anniversary of Top Gun and the year was capped off with Tom Cruise announcing that progress was being made on a sequel to the popular action film. Film news site Moviefone reported that Cruise confirmed that himself and producer Jerry Bruckheimer had discussed the possibility of a sequel. The revelation was made on British chat show Graham Norton, although Cruise was also quick to state that they were still at the discussion level.
As you are aware we wrote a post on how Top Gun can influence everyone from a father to a four-year boy. The post looked at how the sound bites from the film can inspire anyone at any age.
In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Cruise talked about his experience making the original film. According to the Huffington Post, Cruise told Kimmel that one of the stipulations for agreeing to do the film was to receive fighter pilot training. In a humorous antidote Cruise recounted how he got more than he bargained for when the pilot, named Bozo, pulled up while Cruise was attempting to vomit causing the film star to be stuck with his head on the plane floor. When the star confronted the pilot on the ground he replied with “well they don’t call me Bozo for nothing.”
Top Gun has become one of the most iconic films of the eighties with countless imitations and parodies. The film has spawned several computer and video games since its release. One popular version was the 2009 game Top Gun Days of Thunder for iOS. Macworld reported that the game takes place several years after the original with players in control of a new hotshot pilot who is taught by characters from the film including Maverick and Ice Man. The iconography from the film has resonated even into the online gaming world with Betfair with the company creating their own version of a Top Gun slots game, using popular phrases from the film such as ‘Danger Zone’. While many modern franchises expand across different entertainment platforms Top Gun is one of the rare exceptions where a film from the eighties is continuing to be adapted demonstrating the popularity of the film.
The original film was directed by the late great Tony Scott, according to ET Online. The writer on the site speaks of how Top Gun was the film to turn Tom Cruise into a superstar.
Will a sequel ever be made? We hope so, but we also know that the movie business is a fickle one and it will depend on the script and whether there is enough audience interest for it. The fact that the film can resonate with four-year olds suggests that the world is more than ready to join Maverick back in the sky.
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