News Analysis India

Tag: Top Gun: Maverick

  • Lady Gaga, Rihanna earn best original song Oscar nominations

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES: Lady Gaga and Rihanna earned Oscar nominations Tuesday in a best original song category that found Taylor Swift left out.

    Gaga was nominated for “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick,” while Rihanna became a first-time nominee through “Lift Me Up,” a song from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The music superstars will compete at the 2023 Academy Awards in March.

    Swift’s “Carolina” from “Where the Crawdads Sing” failed to get a nomination in the category. The song was considered an Oscar hopeful after receiving nominations for other awards including the Golden Globes.

    Gaga co-wrote the “Top Gun” song with BloodPop, the uber-talented producer-songwriter who has created songs for several big names including Madonna, Britney Spears and Justin Bieber. It’s the fourth nomination for Gaga, who won an Oscar in 2019 for “Shallow” with Bradley Cooper.

    Rihanna made her long-waited return to music with a major splash on the ballad “Lift Me Up,” which was written as a tribute to the late “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, who died from cancer in 2020. She created the song with Tems, the film’s director Ryan Coogler and composer Ludwig Göransson, who took home an Oscar four years ago for his work on the first “Black Panther” film.

    “This song touched a lot of people,” Göransson said. “That’s one of the beautiful things you can do when you write music. There are times when music has a life outside of the film. It lives on. It’s beautiful to see how it connects with people.”

    Diane Warren received her 14th Oscar nomination through her song “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman.” The prolific songwriter was recognized with an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards last year.

    “It’s amazing to be appreciated by my peers again,” said Warren, who stayed up all night at a pizza party with friends while waiting for nominations, just as she did last year. “I never take the nominations for granted.”

    Other best original song nominees are M.M. Keeravaani’s “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR,” which was written by Chandrabose, and “This is a Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The latter track was created by Mitski, David Byrne and Ryan Lott, who along with his band Son Lux was also nominated for best original score.

    “I feel like I’m on top of the world. This is the best feeling,” said Keeravaani, who added that he wasn’t surprised with the nomination because he was “very confident in his work.”

    Keeravaani said he hopes his nomination through the Oscars’ platform can highlight other artists from India.

    “It’s important so that more and more music and talented artists from my country can have a chance to get this kind of recognition, so that the world embraces India music more than ever,” he said.

    LOS ANGELES: Lady Gaga and Rihanna earned Oscar nominations Tuesday in a best original song category that found Taylor Swift left out.

    Gaga was nominated for “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick,” while Rihanna became a first-time nominee through “Lift Me Up,” a song from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The music superstars will compete at the 2023 Academy Awards in March.

    Swift’s “Carolina” from “Where the Crawdads Sing” failed to get a nomination in the category. The song was considered an Oscar hopeful after receiving nominations for other awards including the Golden Globes.

    Gaga co-wrote the “Top Gun” song with BloodPop, the uber-talented producer-songwriter who has created songs for several big names including Madonna, Britney Spears and Justin Bieber. It’s the fourth nomination for Gaga, who won an Oscar in 2019 for “Shallow” with Bradley Cooper.

    Rihanna made her long-waited return to music with a major splash on the ballad “Lift Me Up,” which was written as a tribute to the late “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, who died from cancer in 2020. She created the song with Tems, the film’s director Ryan Coogler and composer Ludwig Göransson, who took home an Oscar four years ago for his work on the first “Black Panther” film.

    “This song touched a lot of people,” Göransson said. “That’s one of the beautiful things you can do when you write music. There are times when music has a life outside of the film. It lives on. It’s beautiful to see how it connects with people.”

    Diane Warren received her 14th Oscar nomination through her song “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman.” The prolific songwriter was recognized with an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards last year.

    “It’s amazing to be appreciated by my peers again,” said Warren, who stayed up all night at a pizza party with friends while waiting for nominations, just as she did last year. “I never take the nominations for granted.”

    Other best original song nominees are M.M. Keeravaani’s “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR,” which was written by Chandrabose, and “This is a Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The latter track was created by Mitski, David Byrne and Ryan Lott, who along with his band Son Lux was also nominated for best original score.

    “I feel like I’m on top of the world. This is the best feeling,” said Keeravaani, who added that he wasn’t surprised with the nomination because he was “very confident in his work.”

    Keeravaani said he hopes his nomination through the Oscars’ platform can highlight other artists from India.

    “It’s important so that more and more music and talented artists from my country can have a chance to get this kind of recognition, so that the world embraces India music more than ever,” he said.

  • ‘Top Gun’ among blockbuster sequels targeting Oscar nominations

    By AFP

    The Oscar nominations for a year in which the big-screen box office finally bounced back from the pandemic will be unveiled Tuesday, with Academy voters expected to reward blockbusters such as “Top Gun: Maverick” for helping to save movie theaters.

    Tom Cruise’s long-awaited sequel to his huge 1986 hit is the most likely crowd-pleaser to make the cut for best picture — Hollywood’s most coveted prize — but other popular follow-ups including “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” could also get a nod.

    They will compete with a wide range of movies, from word-of-mouth sci-fi smash “Everything Everywhere All At Once” to Steven Spielberg’s quasi-memoir “The Fabelmans,” which wowed many critics but didn’t persuade theatergoers to pay up.

    Other films firmly on the radar of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters are Irish black comedy “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Baz Luhrmann’s rock-and-roll biopic “Elvis,” and Cate Blanchett’s latest tour-de-force “Tar.”

    “This year is one of the more unknown years,” said Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis.

    “I probably have put more effort into talking to Academy members to try to gauge their interest and see where the race is headed than in any other year in my life,” he told AFP.

    “And I probably know the least I’ve ever known in my career.”

    A major complicating factor for Oscars prognosticators is the recent massive growth in the number of international Academy voters.

    Those members have been credited with surprises such as South Korea’s “Parasite” winning best picture in 2020, and Japan’s “Drive My Car” being nominated last year.

    “We’ve had international features get in the past few years, and I think that streak could continue,” said Davis.

    Germany’s World War I drama “All Quiet on the Western Front” has built major momentum, scooping a massive 14 nods last week for Britain’s BAFTAs.

    Another best picture contender could be “RRR,” an unapologetically over-the-top Indian action film that has built grassroots support to become a hugely popular favorite in Hollywood.

    “RRR” cannot be nominated for best international feature, however, as India opted instead to submit “Last Film Show” as the country’s official pick for that category.

    “No shade to the movie they did choose, which is actually very good, but ‘RRR’ was a slam dunk,” said Davis.

    Acting races

    In the individual categories, Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”), Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) and Austin Butler (“Elvis”) are clear favorites to score best actor nominations.

    Double Oscar-winner Blanchett appears to be locked in a two-way battle atop the best actress section with Michelle Yeoh, who could make history with “Everything Everywhere.”

    “She’s going be the second Asian woman ever nominated for lead actress in 95 years” of the Oscars, said Davis.

    Her co-star Ke Huy Quan — who appeared as a child in “Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom” almost four decades ago — is likely to cement a remarkable comeback with a nod for best supporting actor.

    The best supporting actress category is expected to feature Angela Bassett, who would become the first star in a Marvel superhero movie to ever earn an Oscar acting nomination with “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

    Spielberg is among those predicted to make the best director shortlist.

    ‘Saved movies’

    Actors Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”) and Allison Williams (“Girls”) will unveil the nominations Tuesday from Los Angeles starting at 5:30 am (1330 GMT).

    Television ratings for award shows including the Oscars have trended downwards, as Academy voters in recent years have veered toward honoring lesser-known indie hits like “Nomadland” and “CODA.”

    Many in the industry will be hoping for a healthy spread of nominations among 2022’s crowd-pleasing sequels, which were sorely needed as giants such as Cineworld, the world’s second biggest cinema chain, filed for bankruptcy protection.

    James Cameron’s sci-fi epic “Avatar: The Way of Water” sailed past the $2 billion mark globally last weekend.

    “Top Gun: Maverick,” which came out in May during highly uncertain times for movie theaters, earned around $1.5 billion.

    “That’s the one that feels like it could actually win best picture,” said Davis.

    “What better story the day after the Oscars air, than that the movie that saved movies was named the best movie? That’s a good story to tell.”

    The Oscar nominations for a year in which the big-screen box office finally bounced back from the pandemic will be unveiled Tuesday, with Academy voters expected to reward blockbusters such as “Top Gun: Maverick” for helping to save movie theaters.

    Tom Cruise’s long-awaited sequel to his huge 1986 hit is the most likely crowd-pleaser to make the cut for best picture — Hollywood’s most coveted prize — but other popular follow-ups including “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” could also get a nod.

    They will compete with a wide range of movies, from word-of-mouth sci-fi smash “Everything Everywhere All At Once” to Steven Spielberg’s quasi-memoir “The Fabelmans,” which wowed many critics but didn’t persuade theatergoers to pay up.

    Other films firmly on the radar of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters are Irish black comedy “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Baz Luhrmann’s rock-and-roll biopic “Elvis,” and Cate Blanchett’s latest tour-de-force “Tar.”

    “This year is one of the more unknown years,” said Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis.

    “I probably have put more effort into talking to Academy members to try to gauge their interest and see where the race is headed than in any other year in my life,” he told AFP.

    “And I probably know the least I’ve ever known in my career.”

    A major complicating factor for Oscars prognosticators is the recent massive growth in the number of international Academy voters.

    Those members have been credited with surprises such as South Korea’s “Parasite” winning best picture in 2020, and Japan’s “Drive My Car” being nominated last year.

    “We’ve had international features get in the past few years, and I think that streak could continue,” said Davis.

    Germany’s World War I drama “All Quiet on the Western Front” has built major momentum, scooping a massive 14 nods last week for Britain’s BAFTAs.

    Another best picture contender could be “RRR,” an unapologetically over-the-top Indian action film that has built grassroots support to become a hugely popular favorite in Hollywood.

    “RRR” cannot be nominated for best international feature, however, as India opted instead to submit “Last Film Show” as the country’s official pick for that category.

    “No shade to the movie they did choose, which is actually very good, but ‘RRR’ was a slam dunk,” said Davis.

    Acting races

    In the individual categories, Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”), Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”) and Austin Butler (“Elvis”) are clear favorites to score best actor nominations.

    Double Oscar-winner Blanchett appears to be locked in a two-way battle atop the best actress section with Michelle Yeoh, who could make history with “Everything Everywhere.”

    “She’s going be the second Asian woman ever nominated for lead actress in 95 years” of the Oscars, said Davis.

    Her co-star Ke Huy Quan — who appeared as a child in “Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom” almost four decades ago — is likely to cement a remarkable comeback with a nod for best supporting actor.

    The best supporting actress category is expected to feature Angela Bassett, who would become the first star in a Marvel superhero movie to ever earn an Oscar acting nomination with “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

    Spielberg is among those predicted to make the best director shortlist.

    ‘Saved movies’

    Actors Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”) and Allison Williams (“Girls”) will unveil the nominations Tuesday from Los Angeles starting at 5:30 am (1330 GMT).

    Television ratings for award shows including the Oscars have trended downwards, as Academy voters in recent years have veered toward honoring lesser-known indie hits like “Nomadland” and “CODA.”

    Many in the industry will be hoping for a healthy spread of nominations among 2022’s crowd-pleasing sequels, which were sorely needed as giants such as Cineworld, the world’s second biggest cinema chain, filed for bankruptcy protection.

    James Cameron’s sci-fi epic “Avatar: The Way of Water” sailed past the $2 billion mark globally last weekend.

    “Top Gun: Maverick,” which came out in May during highly uncertain times for movie theaters, earned around $1.5 billion.

    “That’s the one that feels like it could actually win best picture,” said Davis.

    “What better story the day after the Oscars air, than that the movie that saved movies was named the best movie? That’s a good story to tell.”

  • Prime Video sets India premiere date for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

    The Paramount Pictures film, which is the sequel to Cruise's 1986 classic hit “Top Gun,” will be available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam on the platform.

  • Paramount files motion to dismiss ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ copyright lawsuit

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Hollywood studio Paramount recently filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that claims that ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ infringes on the copyright of the 1983 magazine article that was the source material for the original film, reports Variety.

    Shosh and Yuval Yonay, the widow and son of writer Ehud Yonay, filed the suit in June, arguing that the studio made the sequel without first renewing the rights to the article.

    In the motion to dismiss, Paramount, according to Variety, argued that it did not need to obtain the rights, because ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is a work of fiction that has almost nothing in common with the non-fiction article and that the facts and ideas conveyed in the article cannot be copyrighted.

    “Any similarity between these vastly different works derives from the fact that Top Gun is an actual naval training facility,” the studio’s lawyers argue. “Plaintiffs do not have a monopoly over works about ‘Top Gun’,” Paramount said.

    Variety states that Paramount did secure the film rights to Yonay’s article for the original ‘Top Gun’, which was released in 1986. Copyright law allows authors to reclaim their works after 35 years. Yonay died in 2012, but his widow and son filed a notice in 2018 terminating the studio’s copyright to the article.

    The lawsuit takes pains to document numerous alleged similarities between the article and the sequel. The complaint also argues that Yonay used “vivid and cinematic” language to enliven what otherwise could have been a mere recitation of facts.

    LOS ANGELES: Hollywood studio Paramount recently filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that claims that ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ infringes on the copyright of the 1983 magazine article that was the source material for the original film, reports Variety.

    Shosh and Yuval Yonay, the widow and son of writer Ehud Yonay, filed the suit in June, arguing that the studio made the sequel without first renewing the rights to the article.

    In the motion to dismiss, Paramount, according to Variety, argued that it did not need to obtain the rights, because ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is a work of fiction that has almost nothing in common with the non-fiction article and that the facts and ideas conveyed in the article cannot be copyrighted.

    “Any similarity between these vastly different works derives from the fact that Top Gun is an actual naval training facility,” the studio’s lawyers argue. “Plaintiffs do not have a monopoly over works about ‘Top Gun’,” Paramount said.

    Variety states that Paramount did secure the film rights to Yonay’s article for the original ‘Top Gun’, which was released in 1986. Copyright law allows authors to reclaim their works after 35 years. Yonay died in 2012, but his widow and son filed a notice in 2018 terminating the studio’s copyright to the article.

    The lawsuit takes pains to document numerous alleged similarities between the article and the sequel. The complaint also argues that Yonay used “vivid and cinematic” language to enliven what otherwise could have been a mere recitation of facts.

  • Tom Cruise made going to cinemas appealing post-pandemic: Aquaman-star Jason Momoa

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Actor Jason Momoa has thanked ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ star Tom Cruise for his part in making people go to theatres again following lukewarm years because of the pandemic.

    Momoa is keen to keep playing Aquaman as long as film fans are interested. Returning as the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) superhero in ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’, the 43-year-old star is happy to continue as the character as long as the audience wants him.

    “As long as we can. If people don’t like it and it feels like it’s past its due date, then we won’t make another one,” Momoa told The Hollywood Reporter when quizzed on how much longer he will play Aquaman, reports aceshowbiz.com.

    “But if they love it, then we will make more, you know. I don’t want to force anything down someone’s throat to watch it. But I love it.”

    The has had a hand in writing the story for the new film, which has now been delayed until December 2023, and said that he feels a deep connection to the part.

    The star said: “We wrote a great story. I was one of the writers on it and the minute we finished (‘Aquaman’) I went in with a 50-page outline for the second one and they used it and they liked it. It’s got my heart in it.

    “I feel very connected to the character and have played him across, what, four movies now?”

    Momoa is unconcerned by the latest delay to the movie’s release as he is confident that fans will be happy with what they see.

    He said: “We killed it. We made something amazing and it’ll come out when it’s meant to come out.”

    He also thanked Tom Cruise and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ for making cinemas appealing again.

    “The nice thing about what’s happened with COVID is that everyone is trying to rush to meet these deadlines but we know it should come out when it’s ready to come out (at a time) when everybody is getting back in the movie theatres. So, thank you Tom Cruise.”

    LOS ANGELES: Actor Jason Momoa has thanked ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ star Tom Cruise for his part in making people go to theatres again following lukewarm years because of the pandemic.

    Momoa is keen to keep playing Aquaman as long as film fans are interested. Returning as the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) superhero in ‘Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’, the 43-year-old star is happy to continue as the character as long as the audience wants him.

    “As long as we can. If people don’t like it and it feels like it’s past its due date, then we won’t make another one,” Momoa told The Hollywood Reporter when quizzed on how much longer he will play Aquaman, reports aceshowbiz.com.

    “But if they love it, then we will make more, you know. I don’t want to force anything down someone’s throat to watch it. But I love it.”

    The has had a hand in writing the story for the new film, which has now been delayed until December 2023, and said that he feels a deep connection to the part.

    The star said: “We wrote a great story. I was one of the writers on it and the minute we finished (‘Aquaman’) I went in with a 50-page outline for the second one and they used it and they liked it. It’s got my heart in it.

    “I feel very connected to the character and have played him across, what, four movies now?”

    Momoa is unconcerned by the latest delay to the movie’s release as he is confident that fans will be happy with what they see.

    He said: “We killed it. We made something amazing and it’ll come out when it’s meant to come out.”

    He also thanked Tom Cruise and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ for making cinemas appealing again.

    “The nice thing about what’s happened with COVID is that everyone is trying to rush to meet these deadlines but we know it should come out when it’s ready to come out (at a time) when everybody is getting back in the movie theatres. So, thank you Tom Cruise.”

  • Tom Cruise’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ surpasses ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ as sixth highest grosser

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Hollywood star Tom Cruise’s recently released action film ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has surpassed the overall collection of Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and has become the sixth highest grosser film at the domestic box office history.

    According to Variety, helmed by Joseph Kosinski, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has collected over $679 million in North America, overtaking ‘Infinity War’ which collected $678 million at the domestic box office.

    Internationally, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has generated more than $700 million — and that’s without playing in China or Russia, two major overseas markets. Outside of North America, top-earning territories include the United Kingdom ($95 million), Japan ($82 million), Korea ($62 million), Australia ($60 million) and France ($52.8 million). Globally, it’s the 13th-highest grossing movie ever with $1.379 billion to date, Variety reported.

    The film is the sequel to a 1986 super-hit film ‘Top Gun’, which starred Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer in the lead roles, and was among one of the blockbuster hits of that year.

    ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has also surpassed ‘Titanic’ as Paramount studio’s most popular movie with $1.5 billion abroad and $2.2 billion worldwide.

    Yet, thanks to stellar word-of-mouth and repeat customers, ‘Maverick’ continues to defy the odds. And there’s a chance the movie will continue to fly higher on box office charts. Can the ‘Top Gun’ follow-up take down 2018’s blockbuster ‘Black Panther’ and its $700.4 million tally to crack the top five domestic grosser of all time?

    ‘Top Gun 2’ is likely to continue selling tickets because the film does not have a ton of competition on the horizon. It’ll be fairly desolate at the box office until November when “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” opens in theatres Disney is likely to re-release the original superhero sensation in anticipation of the follow-up, which could propel ‘Black Panther’s’ grosses even higher. But “Maverick” is no stranger to overcoming the impossible, as per Variety.

    WASHINGTON: Hollywood star Tom Cruise’s recently released action film ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has surpassed the overall collection of Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and has become the sixth highest grosser film at the domestic box office history.

    According to Variety, helmed by Joseph Kosinski, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has collected over $679 million in North America, overtaking ‘Infinity War’ which collected $678 million at the domestic box office.

    Internationally, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has generated more than $700 million — and that’s without playing in China or Russia, two major overseas markets. Outside of North America, top-earning territories include the United Kingdom ($95 million), Japan ($82 million), Korea ($62 million), Australia ($60 million) and France ($52.8 million). Globally, it’s the 13th-highest grossing movie ever with $1.379 billion to date, Variety reported.

    The film is the sequel to a 1986 super-hit film ‘Top Gun’, which starred Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer in the lead roles, and was among one of the blockbuster hits of that year.

    ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has also surpassed ‘Titanic’ as Paramount studio’s most popular movie with $1.5 billion abroad and $2.2 billion worldwide.

    Yet, thanks to stellar word-of-mouth and repeat customers, ‘Maverick’ continues to defy the odds. And there’s a chance the movie will continue to fly higher on box office charts. Can the ‘Top Gun’ follow-up take down 2018’s blockbuster ‘Black Panther’ and its $700.4 million tally to crack the top five domestic grosser of all time?

    ‘Top Gun 2’ is likely to continue selling tickets because the film does not have a ton of competition on the horizon. It’ll be fairly desolate at the box office until November when “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” opens in theatres Disney is likely to re-release the original superhero sensation in anticipation of the follow-up, which could propel ‘Black Panther’s’ grosses even higher. But “Maverick” is no stranger to overcoming the impossible, as per Variety.

  • Actor Miles Teller in talks with Tom Cruise for ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ sequel

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Hollywood actor Miles Teller, who plays the son of Maverick’s late best friend Goose, opposite Tom Cruise in one of the highest-grossing films of the year ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, revealed that he has been having conversations with Cruise around the follow-up film, reports Deadline.

    The actor, quoted by Deadline, told Entertainment Tonight: “I’ve been having some conversations with him (Tom Cruise) about it. We’ll see.”

    Teller added, though, the decision would inevitably be up to Cruise, who initially didn’t savour the prospect of making a sequel before bestowing his legendary commitment to the film. “That would be great, but that’s all up to TC,” Teller said. “It’s all up to Tom.”

    Deadline added that Cruise, meanwhile, remains hard at work on his latest Mission Impossible film. He was last seen shooting scenes in London in between trips to watch the tennis action at Wimbledon and the Rolling Stones concert at Hyde Park.

  • Top Gun was life-changing for me: Tom Cruise on sequel come back 

    Express News Service

    Q.It’s been 36 years since when the original Top Gun came out. Does it feel that long for you?

    It really doesn’t. Top Gun was an incredible moment for me in my life and career, but while the journey has been a long one from that first movie to this one, it really doesn’t feel like 36 years. It’s amazing.

    Q. How hard was it to get back into character as Maverick?

    That was something we thought about a lot in terms of tone and structure and showing Maverick as the same guy he used to be, but also different because of the years that have passed and the life he has led. I really enjoyed picking up the character from where we left him at the end of the first movie and showing his life journey to now.

    Q. At what point did you decide you wanted to come back as Maverick in a Top Gun sequel?

    Decades ago. It was something we had been talking about for a long, long time. Everywhere I went, people would ask me about the possibility of a Top Gun 2 but it was never going to be that easy. We had an idea that it had to be done practically, but I didn’t really know how to pull it off. The biggest challenge was the technology required for us to tell the story and show the aerial sequences in the way we wanted to. It had to be right and it took a lot of commitment and effort from a lot of people to make it happen.

    Q. What did you set out to achieve with this movie that perhaps the original didn’t?

    The goal was really to make it even more of a visceral experience for the audience in terms of the aerial sequences while still telling a compelling and emotional story with both new and returning characters. While working with planes and new techniques for aerial shots in American Made and Mission: Impossible, I always had Top Gun in mind in terms of finding a way to make it work. I knew I had to get it just right and then find the cast, the crew and the pilots to be able to pull it off. It’s a credit to everyone who worked on this movie that we have. It’s a true collaboration.

    Q. How much flying did you get to do in this movie?

    I got to do a lot. The P-51 Mustang you see in the movie is actually my plane, so I got to pilot in those sequences. I also got to be in the jet fighter a lot more this time, which was thrilling. It was something I had been working up to––to shoot practically inside these planes in a way that just wouldn’t look the same in any other way. We found a way to do it and then it was my job to train the amazing cast we had to be able to sustain these incredible G-forces while performing and also to train the incredible Navy pilots, we were so lucky to have, in how the cameras work, about lighting and how editing works, so we could get the shots we needed.

    Q. How instrumental was Top Gun in sparking your love for flying and aviation?

    I grew up loving aviation. I had a Spitfire and a P-51 on my bedroom wall. All I ever wanted to be was pilot or an actor so Top Gun was a huge moment in so many respects, including my passion for aviation. Top Gun was life-changing for me. I got to actually fly in an F-14 jet which was a dream come true and play a character I loved in Maverick. That experience has stayed with me and been part of my life ever since. Even now I can be flying my P-51 and the tower will call me, “Mav” over the radio and ask me if I want to do a flyby. Even just on the street, people quote Top Gun lines to me probably more than for any other movie. It’s an amazing buzz to bring this character back alongside such an amazing cast and crew.

    Q. Do fans ever want you to sing ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling’?

    Oh, all the time. Any bar anywhere and that’s the song. I love it and I have no problem singing it.

    The music is a big part of Top Gun. How did you get Lady Gaga to be a part of the soundtrack?I basically just asked her. It was at a point where we had shot the movie, we had an amazing score from Hans Zimmer and Harold Faltermayer, who worked on the first movie of course, but we still had a window of opportunity for something else. I had seen one of Lady Gaga’s shows in Vegas and been amazed, so I called her, asked her if she could help us. She sent the song over and it was perfect. Her song really is the heartbeat of the Top Gun: Maverick score.

    Q. Anyone who has seen the Top Gun: Maverick trailer will know that Iceman has a part to play in this new story. How important was it to you to involve Val Kilmer?

    It was very important to me ––to all of us. I can’t really say anything more than that.

    You are famous for pushing yourself to extreme for your movies. What makes you take risks like that?I really don’t see it as taking risks. To me, it’s all part of what I love to do, which is making movies, telling stories and entertaining the audience. I love making movies and the action stuff, the stunts and the physical aspect is all part of the fun of what I’m so lucky to get to do. I love the process and I love supporting and teaching others. My goal is always to try and do something that hasn’t been seen before on screen .

    Q. Finally, when you look back over your career, where does Maverick rank amongst all the characters you have played?

    I couldn’t say. Every character, every movie and every experience is special to me. I’m just proud and grateful for the opportunities I have had and to have worked with the people I have. I truly hope to keep being as fortunate.

     ––Asia Features

  • Tom Cruise’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ hits USD 1 billion in 31 days at global box office

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Paramount/ Skydance’s ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has surpassed USD 1 billion worldwide, becoming only the second pandemic-era film to achieve this landmark feat.

    It took just 31 days for the aviators to get to USD 1B with the total through Sunday at an estimated USD 1.006 billion worldwide, including domestic’s estimated USD 521.7 million and USD 484.7 million from the international box office, as per Deadline. This is also the first time Tom Cruise has hit that milestone in his 40-year-long career.

    Thank you to everyone who saw #TopGun: Maverick and helped make it a historic opening weekend.
    — Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) May 31, 2022
    The overseas holds on this 36-years-later sequel directed by Joseph Kosinski have been nothing short of stellar, with the last weekend collection off by just 21 per cent, and the current frame at USD 44.5M in 65 markets, down by only 26 per cent, which is remarkable.

    According to Deadline, Top Gun: Maverick’s performance is a testament to the work that Paramount’s distribution and marketing teams put behind it, while Cruise himself deserves massive credit. The indefatigable star travelled to San Diego, Mexico City, Japan, Cannes, London and Seoul to promote the movie. After his Korea trip, he even made a pit stop at the CineEurope convention in Barcelona this past Wednesday (en route from Seoul to the set of the next Mission: Impossible), thanking the exhibition personally for its efforts.

    To recap its journey, upon release in late May, ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ lit the fire with Cruise’s biggest domestic and international debuts; and the following weekend wasn’t swallowed up by the launch of Jurassic World Dominion, proving there’s room for more than one mega-movie in the market, which comes as a piece of good news for everyone after the last two years of uncertainty.

  • ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is unstoppable, jets past USD 400 million mark in US

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: The jet engines of Tom Cruise’s charm and the nostalgia quotient seem to working at full blast as Hollywood’s recent release ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ has attained the Mach 10, soaring past $400 million at the US domestic box office, making it the highest-grossing movie of the year in the US.With $401.8 million in North American ticket sales, Tom Cruise’s patriotic blockbuster has surpassed ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ ($398 million) to claim the No. 1 spot. According to ‘Variety’, it’s only the second movie in pandemic times to cross $400 million stateside, ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ being the first.While the film may have clear skies in June, heavy turbulence is expected for the Tom Cruise-starrer in July as ‘Maverick’ will have to fight off heavyweights like ‘Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8), ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ (July 1) to keep the domestic crown through 2022.’Variety’ further states that internationally, the sequel to 1986’s ‘Top Gun’ has earned $362 million, taking its global total to a massive $783.8 million. Even by pre-COVID standards, ‘Maverick’ is smashing box office expectations. Since ticket sales have stayed strong in recent weeks, industry analysts believe the film will at least cross $900 million by the end of its theatrical run and could even surpass the coveted $1 billion mark.’Top Gun: Maverick’ already stands as Cruise’s highest-grossing film in North America, but it’s close to becoming the actor’s biggest movie at the global box office. ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’, which collected $791 million worldwide in 2018, currently stands as his highest-grossing blockbuster of all time.’Top Gun: Maverick’ opened over Memorial Day weekend and set a holiday record, collecting $160.5 million in its first four days of release. It was the first movie in Cruise’s 40-year career to surpass $100 million in a single weekend.Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the $170 million-budgeted ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ picks up decades after the original and follows Cruise’s Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell as he trains a new group of aviators for a crucial assignment.