There were reports originating out of the UK recently that they’ve had to delay shooting the Top Gun sequel so that Tom Cruise could learn to fly fighter jets. Production has NOT stopped on the movie. And Tom Cruise is NOT going to be flying fighter jets in the movie - because only official military personnel can fly real fighter jets. So this is not a story. Here’s Tom on set this week in a flight suit. He’s wearing one because he will be flying “certain aircraft”, just not the legit army ones. Of course he will. As if there was any doubt. But will he hit the brakes so that the bogey will fly right by and give him a clean shot?! How many moves are going to be recycled in the new Top Gun from the original Top Gun? They’ve already brought back the motorcycle and Jennifer Connelly, Tom’s love interest this time, has already been seen riding behind him in one of the scenes. That’s a move. Will he leave her a note and fold it up into an airplane the next morning? Sorry. I can’t stop.
These are not high quality photos. The paps clearly couldn’t get too close to set. From this distance, Tom looks good, right? From this distance, it’s almost the same. Like it hasn’t been 30 years, maybe just 10. And Pete Mitchell is as much of a maverick as he ever was. This is not a role that Tom Cruise has to try to remember to get back into. There’s no need to remember it. I totally believe he’s been playing it in real life for the last three decades. You see it when he makes talk show appearances on press tours. It’s how he turns his head, smirks before answering a question, grins slow and wide. I’m not convinced he knows where Pete ends and Tom begins. I’m not convinced there is such a thing.
