In June 2017, Cruise announced 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.” Cruise’s hotshot pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell grows into a flight instructor overseeing a diverse cast of pilots, including the first woman pilot (played by Monica Barbaro).
Musician Kenny Loggins has also confirmed that his iconic song “Danger Zone” is featured in the film. Maverick reunites with his nemesis Tom “Iceman” Kazansky played by Val Kilmer.
Tom Cruise's Heights
Tom Cruise has been ridiculed throughout his career for his height. Although his chiseled features, strong jawline, and captivating grin in many ways embody what it is to be a man, he doesn't completely have everything going for him. Yup, Tom Cruise is a shorty.
In order to avoid his height being the focal point of many jokes, he uses some on-screen tricks to make himself appear taller. While filming scenes with McGillis in "Top Gun", he often wore lifts in order to appear taller than her. Cruise, who is just 5'7, is much shorter than McGillis who is 5'10. So you can feel a bit better about yourself now that you know Cruise lacks at least one department.
The Maverick
Since the release of "Top Gun" in 1986, fans have been wondering why a sequel was never released. Turns out that director Tony Scott had no interest in making a sequel. When asked about it, he 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." After Scott's passing, the idea of a sequel remained in question.
Well, fans of the film can rest assured — a sequel is happening. The action-drama sequel is called "Top Gun: Maverick" and is directed by Joseph Kosinski. It focuses on the end of the dogfighting era and the role of drones in modern aerial warfare. Cruise's character flies a F/A-18 Super Hornet. The sequel's budget stands at $140 million, which to say the least, is much higher than its predecessor.
The Top Gun Bar
Even today, it's possible to drink, dance, and sing at the bar where Maverick and Goose sang to their dates. The scene was shot at a real bar called Kansas City BBQ located on Harbor Drive in San Diego, California. The bar is still functioning today.
While a fire in 2008 destroyed a lot of memorabilia, the original piano is still there, and you can buy "Top Gun" t-shirts. The biggest "Top Gun" fans flock to visit the bar for a chance to stand where Goose and Maverick once stood during this timeless scene. We’re sure that when the crew members were bonding, they'd frequent the bar during their party days in San Diego.
Tom Cruise Saved Ray Bans
In 1929, US Army Air Corps Colonel John A. Macready approached John Bausch and Henry Lomb, Rochester-based medical equipment manufacturers, with his idea. He wanted to create aviation sunglasses that would reduce the distraction for pilots caused by the intense blue and white hues of the sky. He was concerned with how pilots' goggles would fog up at high altitudes in the sky. The first glasses known as 'Anti-Glare' were created in 1936. They had plastic frames and green lenses that could cut out the glare without obscuring vision.
In 1937, the design was improved with a metal frame and patented as the Ray-Ban Aviator, because the glasses "banned" sun rays and were designed for pilots. The sunglasses were popular at the beginning, but by the 70s and 80s, they diminished in popularity to the more popular disco-style sunglasses. After Tom Cruise wore a pair of Aviators in Top Gun, their sales rose by 40%. They once again were popular and have since been a huge name in sunglasses.