TOP GUN: MAVERICK Director Calls The Movie’s Production ‘A Dream Come True’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Joseph Kosinski, director of the mega-blockbuster TOP GUN: MAVERICK, shared some behind-the-scenes details about the movie’s stars and his own connection to the subject matter.
His first revelation? Val Kilmer was the one who decided his TOP GUN character, “Iceman,” should be sick.
“It was his idea to make it feel as authentic as possible,” Kosinski explained. “Once he had that idea, it opened up that whole storyline and just allowed us to tell this story in a better way. I was blown away when he offered that up.”
He continued, “I’ll never forget the shoot day with him and Tom. That scene with those two guys, two actors at their absolute best pulling off a scene like that, their first time together on camera since 1986. The friendship between the two, the mutual respect between the two of them as real people very much mirrors the characters.”
Kosinski also talked about what it was like to shoot the movie, including spending two weeks at sea on an aircraft carrier.
“The fact that [servicemen and women] do that for six months or nine months without seeing their families, I was just really blown away by their sacrifice and what they give up to do that job for us,” the director shared. “So, I think all of us on the crew walked away with even more respect for all the men and women out there. And that’s another reason we wanted this film to represent them in the best way possible. Because they worked so hard to help us capture all that. Every flight was flown by real Navy personnel. Every time you see Phoenix flying in the film, she’s being flown by a female aviator.”
Kosinski, like his star Tom Cruise, is an aviation fan. Getting to make TOP GUN: MAVERICK fulfilled some childhood dreams.
“I got to live that dream of being in the Navy for a couple years,” he explained. “I got to go to places that civilians don’t get to go to. I got to see things that no civilian would get to see.”
He continued, “And it was all in this quest for authenticity. And I think you feel it when you see it, because you don’t feel like you’re in a Hollywood-designed setting. There’s a reality to it. We collaborated with the actual engineers who make the real secret aircraft. It was just a dream come true.”
TOP GUN: MAVERICK became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time and a hit with fans and critics alike. A portion of Movieguide®’s review reads:
TOP GUN: MAVERICK is a terrific, powerful, exciting movie. It’s full of high drama and heart-pounding action scenes. This role was made for Tom Cruise. He gets great support from Miles Teller as Goose’s son and Jennifer Connelly as Maverick’s romantic interest. TOP GUN: MAVERICK has a strong moral, Pro-American, patriotic worldview. It also tells a strong redemptive story leading to sacrifice, forgiveness and reconciliation. However, TOP GUN: MAVERICK is marred by too many obscenities and three strong profanities. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises strong or extreme caution.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
