Top Gun: Maverick is set to hit cinemas across the UK and Ireland on May 25th, 2022, as the long-awaited and highly-anticipated follow-up to the original Top Gun movie, which dropped all the way back in 1986.
Lead actor Tom Cruise, who plays the Navy's top pilot in both films, has been on the promotional trail for the sequel and has confirmed that despite the pandemic, and the original release date of June 24th, 2020 having to be pushed back by nearly two years, he was never going to consider a straight-to-streaming release.
Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival, the actor was asked about the prospect and replied: "That was not going to happen ever. I make movies for the big screen."
He added: "I've spent a lot of time with theatre owners. The people that serve the popcorn, the ones who make this [happen]," and explained that he had called up owners of said theatres, to tell them that they would have both the latest Mission: Impossible movie and Top Gun to add to their listings once the pandemic was under some sort of control.
Critics who have had the chance to see the film early have been lashing it with praise, with some even claiming it’s better than the original. That’s a large accomplishment for a sequel, as fans are often left wanting a little more, so it’s clear that the over 35 years it has been between movies was entirely worth it.
Cruise is now working on back-to-back Mission: Impossible instalments, which have also been delayed due to the pandemic as well as changes to the budget.
The actor shows no signs of slowing down, instead further cementing his legacy as one of the top Hollywood icons of our generation.
From Paramount Pictures, Top Gun: Maverick will hit cinemas on May 25th, 2022.
RELATED: Tom Cruise says he 'really rallied hard' for Val Kilmer to appear in Top Gun: Maverick
Tagged in Tom Cruise Top Gun