Tom Cruise, the maverick producer and star of Top Gun, was not going to let the film debut online.
During a lengthy Q&A with IGN at Cannes, the 50-year-old action hero confessed that he was adamant about releasing Top Gun: Maverick in theatres.
“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 Adamant About Not Releasing The Film On The Internet?
Well, the cinematic experience is everything.
“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.”
Cruise’s next upcoming project, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, was placed on hold due of the Covid-19 pandemic. Other corporations took a gamble and released their films online, with Marvel’s Black Widow being one of the first to do so. However, Cruise was emphatic that this would never happen in the sequel to Top Gun, 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 intimated that producing films on the big screen differs significantly from producing pictures for streaming services.
He explained that there is a very precise approach to make a film for the cinema, and that he makes films for the large screen.
“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,” he further added.
“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 say how much he enjoys going to the movies. It’s all about the buzz of people viewing the latest releases for him.
“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.”
For Top Gun: Maverick, director Joseph Kosinsk said that he recorded almost 800 hours of video. During the filming of the movie, however, Tom Cruise was prevented from flying a real jet.
