Top Gun: Maverick nearly had a legendary director in the cockpit, but Ridley Scott turned the film down because of his late brother. While Ridley has cemented himself as one of the greatest speculative fiction directors of all-time, Tony Scott carved out a name for himself directing modern dramas, thrillers, and action movies. Tony’s directorial credits include Beverly Hills Cop II, Crimson Tide, True Romance, and the original Top Gun. It was understandable when Paramount came knocking on Ridley Scott’s door to direct the legacy sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. But, Ridley turned down the project due to its link with his brother.
“They asked me to do it and I said, ‘I don’t want to follow my brother,'” the director told The Hollywood Reporter. Tony Scott took his own life in 2012. While the emotional link between the project and his brother’s passing likely played a part, Scott also brought up a more practical and creative reason as to why he turned down the role. Across his career, Ridley has become synonymous with the sci-fi genre. The closest his movies have really come to telling “real life” stories are through his historical epics. The director said he didn’t want to genre hop for Top Gun: Maverick, as it’s not the kind of film he likes making. Scott explained:
“Tony was always interested in today. A lot of my stuff is either historic, fantasy or science fiction. Tony didn’t like fantasy — things like Alien or Blade Runner or Legend.”
Eventually, Joseph Kosinski was selected to direct Top Gun: Maverick. The film brought back Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer, and introduced a new, star-studded group of Top Gun recruits, that included Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Jay Ellis, and Manny Jacinto. Top Gun: Maverick is considered to be the greatest legacy sequel produced so far, with Hollywood currently obsessed with reviving old and dead franchises for an easy dollar, and won the Oscar for Best Sound with five other nominations — including best Picture.
‘Top Gun 3’ is in the Works
Few expected Top Gun: Maverick to be such a success. Despite its incredible cast, legacy sequels have a poor track record with critics and at the box office. But the success of Maverick has left audiences with a craving for more jet-fueled adrenaline. Top Gun 3 is officially in the works at Paramount, with Tom Cruise and Glen Powell confirmed to return.
In July of this year, Powell gave a promising update on the sequel. Unlike Maverick, it won’t take another 36 years for the third installment. “I have a date,” Powell said when asked about the threequel’s production timeline. However, when pushed for any further details about the production or the plot, he coyly said, “absolutely not.”
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It’s possible that Top Gun 3 could begin shooting soon(ish), as Tom Cruise’s schedule has begun to clear up. The stunt-obsessed actor appeared in the first trailer for Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning. As the title suggests, it is believed to be the last one in the franchise. Hilariously, while Maverick is great at flying planes, Ethan Hunt isn’t so skilled, as Cruise’s big stunt for the film involves hanging upside down while falling out of a plane, thousands of feet in the air.