Top Gun: Maverick

Development

Development of the film began in 2010 when Paramount Pictures made offers to Jerry Bruckheimer and Tony Scott to make a sequel to Top Gun. Christopher McQuarrie had also received an offer to write the sequel's screenplay, which was rumored to have Cruise's character Maverick in a smaller role.^[4] Ultimately, Peter Craig,^[5] Justin Marks,^[6] who described the film as a dream project,^[7] Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz^[8] would be credited as screenwriters on the project.

When asked about his idea for a new Top Gun film, Scott replied, "This world fascinated me, because it's so different from what it was originally. But I don't want to do a remake. I don't want to do a reinvention. I want to do a new movie."^[9] The film will reportedly focus on the end of the dog fighting era^[6] and the role of drones in modern aerial warfare^[5] and that Cruise's character, Maverick, will fly an F/A-18 Super Hornet.^[10]

After Scott's suicide, the sequel's future remained in question. However, producer Jerry Bruckheimer remained committed to the project, especially given Cruise's and Kilmer's interest.^[11][12]

In June 2017, Cruise revealed that the title would be Top Gun: Maverick, with Harold Faltermeyer returning as composer for the sequel. Cruise further stated that, “Aviators are back, the need for speed. We’re going to have big, fast machines. It’s going to be a competition film, like the first one…but a progression for Maverick.”^[13] Later the same month, it was confirmed that the film would be directed by Joseph Kosinski, while no title was officially confirmed.^[14][15]

Musician Kenny Loggins has confirmed that his iconic song "Danger Zone" will be featured in the film.^[16]

Casting

Val Kilmer had campaigned on his social media page that he would like to reprise his role in the film,^[17] and by June 2018, The Wrap reported that he will appear in the film.^[18]

In July 2018, Miles Teller was cast in the role of Goose’s son, beating out the likes of Nicholas Hoult and, more significantly, Glen Powell. All three were flown to the home of Tom Cruise, the star of the film, for chemistry tests.^[19] Later that month, Jennifer Connelly joined the film's cast to play a single mother, running a local bar near the Navy base.^[20][21] In August 2018, Powell joined the cast of the film in a pilot trainee role beefed up for him, having impressed star Tom Cruise, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, as well as executives at Paramount Pictures and Skydance, with his auditions.^[22] That same month, Monica Barbaro, Thomasin McKenzie, Charles Parnell, Jay Ellis, Bashir Salahuddin, Danny Ramirez, Ed Harris, Jon Hamm and Lewis Pullman joined the cast of the film with Barbaro, Ellis, and Ramirez portraying pilot trainees and McKenzie portraying Connelly’s daughter.^[23][24][25] In September 2018, Manny Jacinto joined the cast of the film.^[26] In October 2018, Kara Wang, Jack Schumacher, Greg Tarzan Davis, Jake Picking, Raymond Lee, Jean Louisa Kelly and Lyliana Wray joined the cast of the film.^[27]

Filming

Preliminary production on the film officially started on May 30, 2018 in San Diego, California.^[28][29] During late August a 15-person film crew from Paramount and Bruckheimer Films were aboard the Norfolk-based aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to shoot flight deck operations.^[30][31]