Maverick to Debut on Streaming

Top Gun: Maverick producer and star Tom Cruise was not going to let the movie debut online.

During a lengthy Q&A at Cannes attended by IGN, the 50-year-old action star revealed that he put his foot down when it came to debuting Top Gun: Maverick in cinemas.

“They wouldn’t dare,” he said, definitively. “That’s not going to happen, ever. That was never going to happen. Never. Not going to happen.”

Why was Cruise so against an online release? It’s all about the cinematic experience.

“Look at us all together,” he said, gesturing to the theatre. “We’re all united. We’re all speaking different languages, different cultures, different ideas about art or cinema or storytelling but we are united in being able to come together as a community and share in a shared experience.”

It’s no secret that the Covid-19 pandemic put the brakes on Cruise’s other upcoming film, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Other studios took a chance, releasing their movies online, with Marvel’s Black Widow making waves as one of the first. But Cruise was adamant this would never happen with Top Gun sequel, Maverick.

“I’ve always loved the audience,” he explained. “I make my movies for audiences, because I am an audience, first and foremost.”

He also hinted that making films for the big screen is a very different process compared to making films for streaming services.

“There’s a very specific way to make a film for cinema and I make movies for the big screen,” he said “I know where to go after that. And that’s fine. But I always thought of a film not just for opening weekend but for the distance.

“You hope to make a movie that’s going to entertain and engage an audience not just on opening weekend but down the line, and I love this experience. I want this experience not just for myself, but I know there are so many people who want this experience. I want other filmmakers to have that experience and have that as an outlet.”

Cruise went on to explain how much he loves the cinema. For him, it’s all about the buzz of watching the latest releases among the fans.

“Cinema is my love. It’s my passion. I always go to the movies when they come out – I put my cap on and sit in the audience with everyone. I come in, I want to see the trailers.”

Director Joseph Kosinsk previously revealed that he shot over 800 hours of footage for Top Gun: Maverick. However, Tom Cruise was stopped from flying an actual jet during the film’s production.

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Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.