Top Gun: Maverick has been delayed once again, this time being pushed four months to a November 2021 release date. The sequel to the Tom Cruise-led fighter pilot epic was originally intended to release in 2019, but was delayed by various production issues, and then delayed even later by the covid-19 pandemic. Top Gun 2 was most recently slated for a release over the Fourth of July weekend, but that release date has now also been pushed.
Released in theaters in 1986, Top Gun told the story of an elite U.S. Navy flight school and the highly competitive pilots who train there. The film was heavily praised for its high-budget flight sequences, which were groundbreaking at the time. Today, Top Gun is also remembered for the lead performances from Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, and Anthony Edwards, for its iconic beach volleyball scene, and for its two titanic ‘80s anthems in Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” and Cheap Trick’s “Mighty Wings.”
The sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, has been highly anticipated since its announcement, especially because both Cruise and Kilmer were confirmed to reprise their roles. Unfortunately for Top Gun fans, the wait for Maverick’s release is going to be a bit longer. Per Deadline, the film has been pushed four months from its planned July 2 release date. Top Gun 2 will now release in theaters on November 19. Cruise’s Mission: Impossible 7 was previously planned for that same date, but that film has also been pushed, and will instead premiere on May 27, 2022.
In Top Gun 2, Cruise’s Maverick will jump from the trainee seat to the teacher’s podium as he trains a new generation of fighter pilots. Cruise and Kilmer will star alongside newcomers like Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, and Ed Harris. The sequel is directed by Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy), who’s most famous for his work in the realm of CGI. Maverick has promised new technical strides forward in its flight sequences, and it should be exciting to see how Kosinski’s work in the digital space blends with the practical effects of the original film.
Other than the broad narrative strokes and the continued focus on Maverick as a character, much of the story of Top Gun 2 is still unknown. The world is a good deal different than the Cold War era in which the original Top Gun was produced, and a lot of the film’s style is uniquely reflective of the mid-1980s. Will Iceman be Maverick’s wingman this time? Will Cheap Trick return to record another instant classic? Will Ghost Rider receive permission to buzz the tower? All these questions and more will be answered when Top Gun: Maverick premieres on November 19.
Source: Deadline
