‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Filmmakers on Box Office Glory, Oscar Ambitions and Sequel Speculation
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For a filmmaker behind the most enduring box office hit in a decade, Joseph Kosinski is exceptionally humble about “Top Gun: Maverick.”
Paramount and Skydance’s action-packed blockbuster, featuring Tom Cruise’s return to the skies 36 years after the original film, has become an unexpected sensation, bringing audiences young and old back to the big screen at a time when theaters are in desperate need of a win. In the process, “Maverick” has racked up an eye-popping $1.4 billion globally to stand as the highest-grossing movie of the year. Nobody has been more surprised by its success than Kosinski.
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“I don’t know if I’ve wrapped my head around it. I’m amazed every day that it continues to play,” he says. The film, available on home entertainment on Aug. 23 at a premium price, has remained in the top five on domestic box office charts for 12 of its 13 weeks of release.
Over the weekend, “Maverick” surpassed “Avengers: Infinity War” to become the sixth-highest-grossing domestic release of all time with $683.4 million, trailing only megahits such as “Black Panther,” “Avatar” and “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens.”
“To be in the company of those massive films is pretty mind-blowing,” says Kosinski. “It’s certainly not what we set out to do. We set out to tell a great story.”
Given the undeniable commercial success, there’s been plenty of chatter about another sequel. Does Kosinski, whom Cruise handpicked to direct the 2022 follow-up, believe there could be an extended “Top Gun” cinematic universe — or does the franchise only work with Cruise in the cockpit?
“Boy, I don’t know,” he admits. “I approached [the sequel] as Maverick’s rite of passage being the fundamental core of the film. Who knows how it’ll be interpreted in the future.”
Jerry Bruckheimer, an original producer who returned for the sequel, is equally coy about getting Cruise and the gang together for another high-octane adventure. “You have to wait and see if you get the right story … and if Tom wants to play this character again,” Bruckheimer says.
He is a little more forthcoming about his Oscar hopes for the sequel. Many awards season pundits have pointed to the film as a rare blockbuster that’s been embraced by critics as well as the public.
“I hope the Academy sees the same thing that an audience sees: This is a thrilling movie. It’s well told, well acted, well directed, well written. It’s got Lady Gaga’s fantastic hit song,” Bruckheimer says.
Beyond the movie itself, the $19.99 digital release of “Maverick” will offer a look at the film’s aerial sequences, as well as insight into Cruise’s passion for risky stunts.
Says Kosinski: “For people who like to see the work that goes on behind the scenes, there’s 110 minutes of new content to dive into.”
In honor of the film’s digital release, Variety spoke to Kosinski, Bruckheimer and Glen Powell, who plays the cocky pilot Hangman.
Glen Powell
What’s the most times a fan has told you they’ve seen “Top Gun: Maverick” in theaters?
My parents have seen it 13 times, so that’s pretty crazy. Every time I came on screen, they’d cheer and the other people in the theater were like, “What are these people doing cheering for Hangman every time he comes on screen?” They started getting the whole theater to start cheering every time I came on screen. It was infectious… cheer for the asshole, you know? I’m not sure if anybody has beat my parents. They definitely contributed to this box office surge, that’s for sure.
Do your parents get the theater to boo when Miles Teller appears on screen?
They love Miles. They’re not booing Miles. They love everybody in this movie. [My parents] have made a few stops along the press tour. I missed a leg in the U.K. I had to stay in L.A. to do “Jimmy Kimmel,” and they were like, “Hey, we’re still going to go to the U.K.” I was like, “You know I won’t be there, right?” I woke up to a text from Cruise that my parents were hanging out in the junket room and he was entertaining them. The whole cast was like, “Wait are you here?” I’m like, “No, just my parents.”
After seeing the movie 13 times, do your parents know it by heart?
They know the movie better than I do at this point. I’ve seen it probably five times, but 13 is pretty aggressive. They’re happy to pay Jerry Bruckheimer’s mortgage, you know?
Does the cast have an active group chat?
One of the fun things [producer] Chris McQuarrie does is he gives us little box office facts. He’ll be like, “Today, you just beat ‘Titanic,’ this is why it’s unprecedented…’ He really conceptualizes what a special run this has been. Tom and Jerry have said, “We’ve been a part of some of the biggest movies for decades and we’ve never seen anything like this.” It’s special to see them react to it, especially on that thread.
Do you also share “Top Gun” memes or gifs with each other?
Miles and I always send each other screenshots of random people who hope that Rooster and Hangman end up together. It’s, like, “The Notebook” but with Rooster and Hangman.
It took 36 years to get a second “Top Gun” movie. Is it going to take another 36 years for a third?
I don’t know if I’m going to look like Tom Cruise at 60. We have different trajectories. He’s maintained. I don’t know if Hangman is going to look the same. I could look pretty gross. Hopefully before then, I’d like to make another movie.
Is there any truth to rumors that you’ll be playing Cyclops in Marvel’s “X-Men” movie?
Before Comic-Con, everybody was like, “Dude, are you Cyclops?” No, I’m not. Nobody has called me. I don’t even have one contact info for Marvel, so I have no idea what people are talking about.
If not, maybe you and Rooster will get a spinoff.
I think that’s more likely.
Joseph Kosinski
Have you been able to wrap your head around the box office success of “Top Gun: Maverick”?
I don’t know if I’ve wrapped my head around it. I get the daily email from the studio, and I’m amazed every day that it continues to play. I’m thrilled that people liked the movie.
“Maverick” has passed Titanic and “Avengers: Endgame” on domestic box office chart. Have any directors reached out to congratulate you?
I don’t think I’ve gotten any congratulatory emails. But to be in the company of those massive films is pretty mind blowing. It’s certainly not what we set out to do. We set out to tell a great story and make a great movie.
Who has been the most unexpected “Maverick” fan?
I’ve gotten emails from many, many people in the industry who I admire… filmmakers, actors, and producers who made films I grew up loving. It’s been amazing to have that response from not only people on the street, but heroes of mine. I won’t name any names, but people who I have a lot of respect for.
Was there a moment you knew the film would be commercially successful?
The moment that sticks out in my head is CinemaCon in Las Vegas. That was the first big public screening of the film, and you could feel it in the audience. Obviously, it was a group of people that were very inclined to want the movie to work. But still, sitting through that screening was something I’ll never forget. There were some sniffles in the audience. It was great.
Do you think there’s any possibility of a broader “Top Gun” universe, or does the franchise only work with Tom Cruise?
Boy, I don’t know. I approached it as Maverick’s rite of passage being the fundamental core of the film. But who knows how it’ll be interpreted in the future.
Paramount is probably eager to make another film, just like the studio was probably eager to make another film back in 1986. Does any part of you want the success of the sequel to stand on its own?
I mean, we’re all just so relieved and grateful that we got this one out the door. After so much work, we’re obviously enjoying being out there and playing for people. We’re not really — at least I’m not really — thinking about the next one. I’m just enjoying this experience. It was a very special confluence of the right group of people in the right story at the right time.
Miles Teller mentioned a potential spinoff with his character, Rooster. Is that an idea that should be explored?
Well, I’m glad that Miles is is thinking about that. That’s great. But again, it’s always coming up with the right story that makes you go back to that world. So that’s something for Jerry and Tom to really think about. What would the story be that would get the band back together?
Jerry Bruckheimer
Will “Top Gun: Maverick” keep riding its wave of success to the Oscars?
It’s not up to us. It’s up to other people. Everybody wants to be recognized for what they do, and awards are always nice to get, but we make movies for audiences. We got an older audience back to the theaters. But what’s interesting: we thought it would play for an older audience, but it entertained everybody. You don’t have the kind of grosses we get and not entertain the youth and the audience that saw the original. I hope the Academy sees the same thing that an audience sees: This is a thrilling movie, well told, well acted, well directed, well written. It’s got Lady Gaga’s fantastic hit song.
What about the movie appealed to audiences young and old?
What you’re seeing is real. These actors actually went up in these planes. They were trained for three months by Tom. Tom designed the aero-footage along with Joe and our writers, putting you in an F18. But it’s always the story, the emotion, the characters, Tom’s performance.
Is there pressure to make a third movie?
You gotta wait and see if you get the right story, and if Tom wants to engage and play this character again. Does he want to put that jacket back on?
Are you surprised the movie has stayed strong at the box office even though it’s available on home entertainment?
We announced a couple days ago that it was going on another platform. And grosses were bigger than the week before, even though an audience knows they can see it at home. They want to do both.
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