Top Gun (franchise) explained

Top Gun
Creator:Jim Cash
Jack Epps Jr.
Owner:Paramount Pictures
Years:1986–present
Video Games:List of video games
Music:"Danger Zone"
"Take My Breath Away"
"Heaven in Your Eyes"
"Mighty Wings"
"Playing with the Boys"
"Top Gun Anthem"
"Hold My Hand"
"I Ain't Worried"

Top Gun is an American action drama multimedia franchise based on the 1983 article "Top Guns" by Ehud Yonay, which was adapted into the eponymous 1986 film, written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr. The original film portrays Tom Cruise as Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a young naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier, who with his radar intercept officer, LTJG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, are given the chance to train at the US Navy's Fighter Weapons School at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California.

Produced and released by Paramount Pictures, Top Gun became a cultural phenomenon and, despite receiving mixed reviews, was acclaimed for its groundbreaking visual effects and energetic soundtrack. It was followed by the 2022 sequel film , which takes place 36 years after the events of the first film and depicts Maverick's reluctant return to the United States Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, where he must confront his past as he trains a group of younger aviators, among them the son of his deceased best friend. Top Gun: Maverick was met with greater critical and commercial success than the original, with praise for its story, performances, emotional weight, and flying sequences.

Film

FilmU.S. release dateDirectorScreenwritersStory byProducers
Top GunTony ScottJim Cash & Jack Epps Jr.Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer
Joseph KosinskiEhren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer & Christopher McQuarriePeter Craig & Justin MarksTom Cruise, David Ellison, Jerry Bruckheimer and Christopher McQuarrie

Top Gun (1986)

See main article: Top Gun.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

See main article: Top Gun: Maverick.

Future

In May 2022, Miles Teller stated that he had been pitching a follow-up film centered around his character to the studio. The actor referred to his pitch as Top Gun: Rooster.[1] By July of the same year, he stated that he has been having ongoing discussions regarding a sequel with Tom Cruise.[2]

Television

In October 2023, it was announced that a docuseries was in development centered around the real-life stories of military recruits and their journey through the titular Navy pilot school and its Advanced Flight Training Program. Titled Top Gun: The Next Generation, the show will be developed by showrunner Karen Edwards, in collaboration with director Lana Salah and executive producer Tanya Shaw. The series will be a joint-venture production between National Geographic Originals, Rex Entertainment, and Zinc Media Group for an exclusive release through National Geographic.[3] [4]

Cast and crew

Cast

Character Films
Top Gun
Pete "Maverick" MitchellTom Cruise
Tom "Iceman" KazanskyVal Kilmer
Charlotte "Charlie" BlackwoodKelly McGillis
Nick "Goose" BradshawAnthony Edwards
Carole BradshawMeg Ryan
Bradley "Rooster" BradshawAaron and Adam WeisMiles Teller
Mike "Viper" MetcalfTom Skerritt
Rick "Jester" HeatherlyMichael Ironside
Bill "Cougar" CortellJohn Stockwell
Leonard "Wolfman" WolfeBarry Tubb
Ron "Slider" KernerRick Rossovich
Sam "Merlin" WellsTim Robbins
Marcus "Sundown" WilliamsClarence Gilyard
Rick "Hollywood" NevenWhip Hubley
Tom "Stinger" JardianJames Tolkan
Charles "Chipper" PiperAdrian Pasdar
Penelope "Penny" BenjaminJennifer Connelly
Beau "Cyclone" SimpsonJon Hamm
Jake "Hangman" SeresinGlen Powell
Robert "Bob" FloydLewis Pullman
Chester "Hammer" CainEd Harris
Solomon "Warlock" BatesCharles Parnell
Natasha "Phoenix" TraceMonica Barbaro
Reuben "Payback" FitchJay Ellis
Mickey "Fanboy" GarciaDanny Ramirez
Javy "Coyote" MachadoGreg Davis
Bernie "Hondo" ColemanBashir Salahuddin
Billy "Fritz" AvaloneManny Jacinto
Logan "Yale" LeeRaymond Lee
Brigham "Harvard" LennoxJake Picking
Neil "Omaha" VikanderJack Schumacher
Callie "Halo" BassettKara Wang
Amelia BenjaminLyliana Wray
Sarah KazanskyJean Louisa Kelly
JimmyJames Handy

Crew and production details

FilmComposersCinematographerEditorsProduction companiesDistributing companyRuntime
Top GunHarold Faltermeyer & Giorgio MoroderJeffrey L. KimballBilly Weber & Chris LebenzonDon Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer FilmsParamount Pictures1 hr 50 mins
Lady Gaga, Lorne Balfe, Hans Zimmer & Harold FaltermeyerClaudio MirandaEddie HamiltonSkydance Media,
Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
2 hrs 10 mins

Reception

Box office performance

FilmRelease dateBox officeBudget
North AmericaOther territoriesWorldwide
Top GunMay 16, 1986$180,470,489$176,999,033$357,469,522$15,000,000[5] [6]
May 27, 2022$718,732,821$770,000,000$1,488,732,821$170,000,000[7] [8]
Total$$$$185 million[9] [10]

Critical and public response

FilmCriticalPublic
Rotten TomatoesMetacriticCinemaScore
Top Gun58% (76 reviews)[11] 50 (15 reviews)[12] A[13]
Top Gun: Maverick96% (444 reviews)[14] 78 (63 reviews)[15] A+

Accolades

Music

Soundtracks

TitleU.S. release dateLengthLabel
Top GunMay 13, 198638:38Columbia Records
Top Gun: Maverick (Music from the Motion Picture)May 27, 202243:35Interscope Records

Singles

The soundtrack to the original film reached number one in the US charts for five nonconsecutive weeks in the summer and autumn of 1986. It was the best selling soundtrack of 1986 and is still one of the best selling soundtrack albums of all time.[18] [19] The soundtrack spawned two top 10 singles on the US charts, with the song "Danger Zone" by Kenny Loggins peaking at number two and the song "Take My Breath Away" by Berlin reaching number one, the latter of which would also go on to win both the Academy Award for Best Original Song[20] and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.[21] According to Allmusic, the album "remains a quintessential artifact of the mid-'80s", and the album's hits "still define the bombastic, melodramatic sound that dominated the pop charts of the era."[19]

The soundtrack to the sequel featured the singles "Hold My Hand" by Lady Gaga and "I Ain't Worried" by OneRepublic, with the latter becoming a top 10 hit. The score of the film harkened back to the original film's sound and was noted by Zanobard Reviews as a "thoroughly entertaining and incredibly nostalgic musical experience from beginning to end".[22]

Other media

See main article: List of ''Top Gun'' video games. Top Gun also spawned a number of video games for various platforms. The original game was released in 1986 under the same title as the film. It was released on Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and Atari ST. Another game, also titled Top Gun, was released in 1987 for Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Nintendo VS. System arcade cabinets. In the 1987 game, the player pilots an F-14 Tomcat fighter, and has to complete four missions. A sequel, Top Gun: The Second Mission, was released for the NES three years later.

Another game, , was released in 1996 for the PC and later for the Sony PlayStation platform. was released in 1998. was released for PlayStation 2 in 2001 and was subsequently released for the GameCube and Microsoft Windows. Combat Zones features other aircraft besides the F-14. In 2006, another game simply titled Top Gun was released for the Nintendo DS. A 2010 game, also titled Top Gun, retells the film's story. At E3 2011, a new game was announced, Top Gun: Hard Lock, which was released in March 2012 for Xbox 360, PC, and PlayStation 3.

References

  1. Web site: Miles Teller Open To Top Gun: Maverick Sequel Involving His Character. Screen Rant. Griffiths, Elliott. May 25, 2022. July 8, 2022. July 9, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220709020328/https://screenrant.com/top-gun-2-maverick-sequel-rooster-miles-teller/. live.
  2. Web site: Miles Teller Says He's Had 'Conversations' With Tom Cruise About Possible 'Top Gun 3' (Exclusive). Entertainment Tonight. Gawley, Paige. July 7, 2022. July 8, 2022. July 8, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220708043333/https://www.etonline.com/miles-teller-says-hes-had-conversations-with-tom-cruise-about-possible-top-gun-3-exclusive-186984. live.
  3. Web site: ‘Top Gun: The Next Generation’ TV Series to Go Inside Navy Pilot School. The Hollywood Reporter. Hibberd, James. October 16, 2023. October 16, 2023. October 16, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231016120210/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/top-gun-next-generation-tv-series-natgeo-1235618894/. live.
  4. Web site: ‘Top Gun: The Next Generation’ Docuseries Flies To Nat Geo. Deadline. White, Peter. October 16, 2023. October 16, 2023. October 16, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231016121109/https://deadline.com/2023/10/top-gun-the-next-generation-nat-geo-1235573373/. live.
  5. Web site: Top Gun (1986) . . July 10, 2022 . December 19, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141219084139/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=topgun.htm . live .
  6. Web site: Top Gun (1986) . . July 10, 2022 . July 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220706191927/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Top-Gun-Maverick-(2020) . live .
  7. Web site: Top Gun: Maverick (2022) . . July 10, 2022 . July 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220711011134/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2500036097/?ref_=bo_fr_table_1 . live .
  8. Web site: Top Gun: Maverick (2022) . . July 10, 2022.
  9. Web site: Top Gun (Franchise) . . July 10, 2022 . July 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220711011130/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchise/fr2219216645/?ref_=bo_frs_table_182 . live .
  10. Web site: Top Gun (Franchise) . . July 10, 2022 . July 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220711011019/https://m.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Top-Gun . live .
  11. Top Gun . top_gun . movie . June 30, 2022.
  12. top-gun . Top Gun . movie . June 30, 2022.
  13. Web site: 'Top Gun: Maverick' Scorches Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World's End For Memorial Day Opening Record With $160M+ – Tuesday AM Update. May 29, 2022. Anthony. D'Alessandro. Deadline Hollywood. June 30, 2022. May 30, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220530084732/https://deadline.com/2022/05/top-gun-maverick-box-office-1235034420/. live.
  14. Top Gun: Maverick . top_gun_maverick . movie . June 30, 2022.
  15. top-gun-maverick . Top Gun: Maverick . movie . June 30, 2022.
  16. News: The 59th Academy Awards (1987) Nominees and Winners . October 16, 2011 . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20141109082101/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1987 . November 9, 2014.
  17. Web site: Nordyke . Kimberly . March 12, 2023 . Oscars: Complete Winners List . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230313042718/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/2023-oscars-winners-list-1235349224/ . March 13, 2023 . March 13, 2023 . The Hollywood Reporter.
  18. Book: Risky Business: Rock in Film. Denisoff. R. Serge. Romanowski. William D.. December 31, 2011. Transaction Publishers. 9781412833370. en. March 13, 2024. October 30, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231030082552/https://books.google.com/books?id=KeDOCwAAQBAJ&q=%22danger+zone%22&pg=PT446. live.
  19. Web site: Top Gun [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] - Original Soundtrack Songs, Reviews, Credits AllMusic]. AllMusic. May 19, 2017. March 21, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230321054739/https://www.allmusic.com/album/top-gun-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-mw0000650897. live.
  20. News: The 59th Academy Awards 1987. Oscars.org Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. March 3, 2018. en. October 2, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191002000001/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1987. live.
  21. Web site: Winners & Nominees 1987. Golden Globes. March 3, 2018. January 19, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180119120554/https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1987. dead.
  22. Web site: Zanobard . May 27, 2022 . Top Gun: Maverick – Soundtrack Review . 2022-05-27 . Zanobard Reviews . en . May 27, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220527071125/https://zanobardreviews.com/2022/05/27/top-gun-maverick-soundtrack-review/ . live .