It’s been nearly four decades since Top Gun hit theaters, and the movie is still an American classic.
Released in May 1986, the film follows a group of Top Gun Naval Fighters as they learn to train and refine their elite flying skills. When hotshot pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) joins the squad, his reckless behavior puts him at odds with his fellow pilots — especially “cool guy” Iceman (Val Kilmer). With the help of his pal Goose (Anthony Edwards), Maverick sets off not to just be the top fighter in his class but to win the affection of the academy’s flight instructor, Charlotte Blackwood (Kelly McGillis).
The action flick was an instant classic and inspired a generation to join the armed forces, with the U.S. Navy reporting a 500 percent increase in admissions that same year. Directed by Tony Scott, the movie went on to win an Oscar and a Golden Globe in 1987 for Best Original Song – “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins.
The sequel to the adventure film, 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, serves as an ode to its predecessor. “It’s a little nerve-wracking, Because we know we love the film, but you just never know how an audience is going to react — especially to something so beloved,” director Joseph Kosinski told Screen Rant in May 2022 of following in Scott’s footsteps. “Everyone has their own version or memory of the first film or what they loved about it. I hope people see how much we revere the first film and at the same time, we wanted to tell our own story.”
Cruise, for his part, told The Sunday Project that he didn’t want to do a sequel until the time and story were right. “As time went on, every year I would release a movie, people would be like, ‘What about Top Gun?’ So I would go and think, ‘What could I do?’ I’ve always looked for an interesting story,” he explained in May 2022. “I felt like [Miles Teller as Goose’s son Bradley Bradshaw] was a [worthy] emotional story.”
Scroll below to see where the original cast of Top Gun is today:
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