Edward Furlong’s return as John Conner wasn’t the only surprise that Paramount Pictures had in store for itsTerminator: Dark Fatepanel atComic-Con International. During the presentation, the guests took a short break from discussing murderous robots to welcome Tom Cruise to the stage, where he revealed a trailer forTop Gun: Maverick.
The teaser trailer opens with Ed Harris giving a quick summary of what Cruise’s character, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, has been up to since we last saw him in 1986’sTop Gun, and then drops a bombshell: Despite Mitchell’s long list of accomplishments and 30-plus years of service, the pilot is still only a captain. Exactly why remains a mystery.
The trailer goes on to display shots that should makeTop Gunfans very happy, including Maverick’s signature leather jacket and sunglasses, a new beach volleyball scene, and lots of fighter jets.
At Comic-Con, Cruise told the Hall H audience that “everything you see in this film is real.” In order to create an authentic experience, theTop Gun: Maverickcrew worked closely with the Navy to capture real plane stunts. When you see a close-up of Cruise in a cockpit, he’s sitting in the real thing.
The long-awaitedTop Gunsequel has some impressive technology behind the scenes, too. Previously,Mad Menstar Jon Hamm, who appears in the film, said that the film is being shot in 6K resolution, “so it’s incredibly hi-def.”
Top Gun: Maverickwill focus on Maverick’s struggle to stay relevant as drones slowly make human pilots redundant. In addition to Cruise, Miles Teller will play the son of Goose, Maverick’s wingman from the first film, who was played byERstar Anthony Edwards.Top Gunstar Val Kilmer will reprise his role as Maverick’s rival, Iceman, while Hamm and Jennifer Connelly have enlisted to play new characters.
The originalTop Guntold the story of Maverick’s time at the prestigious Naval Fighter Weapons School. It was directed by the late Tony Scott, and was selected for inclusion in the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, a collection of “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” movies, in 2015. Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy) directs the sequel.
