Top Gun: Maverick shades CGI action with a crazy video touting the movie's practical plane stunt flying. The long-awaited Top Gun sequel starring Tom Cruise as the iconic Maverick was supposed to hit theaters in June, but was pushed all the way to December after coronavirus shut down everything.
Though the delay was certainly bad news, after waiting over thirty years for Maverick to once again hit the highway to the danger zone, fans can probably stand holding on until December to find out what Cruise and company have in store for them. Already, those fans have gotten a preview of the new mix of characters set to join Cruise in the sequel, including the group of young hot shot pilots who take to the skies with the older (but probably not much wiser) Maverick. That young cast of characters of course includes Miles Teller as Rooster Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s deceased radar man Goose. Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Ed Harris are also on board in roles that are largely being kept under wraps. And in a big treat for fans of the original Top Gun, Val Kilmer is set to return as Iceman (though there’s a chance his role is very limited).
As one would expect for a movie starring Cruise, Maverick promises to take its audience for a thrilling ride, with Cruise and company putting their lives in real danger in order to pull off the movie’s flying scenes. A new video posted by Skydance indeed emphasizes the non-CGI nature of the movie’s action, showing the film’s very real planes buzzing various crew members at scarily low altitudes. See the clip in the space below:
In keeping with his reputation as a man who accepts nothing less than realism when it comes to stunts, Cruise not only made sure that real jets were used in Maverick, he insisted his co-stars all be able to handle riding in real fighter aircraft in order to shoot their scenes. At least one Maverick actor, Glen Powell, actually took things a step farther by learning how to fly for real – and Cruise himself footed the bill for Powell’s training. Obviously, most action movies of today would not go this far in pushing for realism, and Cruise himself has said he thinks Maverick may be the last film ever made that employs so much real flying (CGI obviously is much easier if not actually cheaper). Of course, Cruise himself has designs on going even higher than Top Gun, as he is trying to become the first movie star to make a film in outer space.
If Top Gun: Maverick in fact represents the final word in non-CGI flying movies, Cruise and company are clearly dedicated to making it as amazing an experience as possible. The above video affords just a taste of the very real and very exciting flying action that is sure to be a major selling point when the Top Gun sequel finally soars into theaters.
Source: Skydance/Twitter
