The team behind Top Gun: Maverick built a new camera system to shoot the flying scenes for real. Director Joseph Kosinski (Oblivion) will be directing from a screenplay written by Ehren Kruger (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen), Erin Warren Singer (American Hustle), and Christopher McQuarrie (Edge of Tomorrow). Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer return to their roles as Maverick and Iceman, respectively.
The original Top Gun was released in 1986, which continues to be recognized as an American classic film to this day. The upcoming sequel follows Maverick, who has put in more than 30 years of work as an aviator. Now, he will have to face the struggles of his past, while guiding a crew of new aviators. Top Gun: Maverick will be in theaters on November 19, 2021 with a plan to release on Paramount+ 45 days after it hits the big screen. It was initially delayed in 2019 to allow the team to ensure that the flying sequences look the best that they possibly can. Similar to many other features in 2020, Top Gun: Maverick was once again pushed after theaters closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a video interview with YouTuber Vsauce3, Kosinski talked about technology's importance in filming Top Gun: Maverick. He explained how he had originally pursued engineering in his education to be an aerospace engineer. Since working in the film industry, he has managed to utilize his tech-driven background from the role of a director. He explained how he had to collaborate to build a new system in order to fully capture the experience of flying from within the cockpit. See below for Kosinski's comment:
“My cinematographer that I work with a lot, Claudio Miranda, and I had been working with Sony. We tested and worked with them to develop the Rialto, it’s called, which is a very small version of the Venice. It was of a size that then we could start to fit in a fighter jet. So, for Top Gun, we managed to fit six of those in the cockpit. Four facing towards the actor and two facing forward. You can’t fake that. That’s why we shot it for real.”
The fact that Kosinski directed while his talent was in the sky flying is immensely impressive. In addition to the rehearsals on the ground, a lot of hard work from all those involved went into putting this movie together. While it would have been nice to have the film released in time for July 4, audiences will have to wait until November to see all that has been achieved in the final product. It's good that they took more time to ensure that they're releasing the best film possible.
Having previously directed Oblivion and TRON: Legacy, it's clear that Kosinski is comfortable working with a big budget to deliver a film that is truly an experience. Judging by those two films and the trailers that have already been released for Top Gun: Maverick, seeing this at home on a television or computer screen would feel like an entirely different movie than seeing it on the big screen. Only time will tell if the quality of the film will hold up to the large shoes that it has to fill as a sequel.
Source: VSauce3
