Jerry Bruckheimer on Tom Cruise sequel – The Hollywood Reporter

Top Gun: maverick It has been a long time Jerry Bruckheimer.

The prolific producer behind the original Top Gun Once Tony Scott and Tom CruiseIt became the best-selling film in the world in 1986 with a box office of $357 million. But development never seemed to take off, and attention quickly turned to other projects. More than two decades later, Bruckheimer and Scott reworked the idea until Scott’s tragic death in 2012. While development has slowed down, Bruckheimer remains committed to making the sequel come to fruition, tying Cruise’s star in 2017. forget Director Joseph Kosinski’s Promotion Has Everyone Wowed Top Gun: Maverick.

“Joe [Kosinski] There is a look book, a poster and title, Top Gun: Maverick, and then he told Tom about the character’s journey and the story he wanted to tell. Tom glanced at him, took out his mobile phone, and dialed the number of the person in charge of the company. Paramount Said, ‘I want to do another Top Gun.That’s it,” Bruckheimer told hollywood reporter.

Cruise’s commitment to the project is contingent on several conditions, namely Val KilmerThose intuitions proved correct as the film reunites between Cruise’s captain Pete “The Maverick” Mitchell and Kilmer’s Admiral Tom “Iceman” Kazansky It received an overwhelming response in early screenings.

“[Tom] Said, ‘I wouldn’t have made this movie without Val.’ When we shot it, it was a very exciting day, and Val was there and seeing him working with Tom after 35 years,” Bruckheimer shared road.

The film’s finishing touch is Lady Gaga’s powerful original song “Hold My Hand,” when maverick The think tank first heard the song in Hans Zimmer’s studio, and the team knew they had to build on it.

“We played it in Hans Zimmer’s studio and Tom flipped it. Hans loved it so much that he said, ‘I’m going to use that melody as a love theme in the movie,'” Bruckheimer said.

in a recent conversation ECGBruckheimer also discussed the demanding training regimen, maverick The actor went through, and his passion for process-oriented stories.

So, knowing you’ve won, is the wait as painful as one might expect?

yes, wait is still painfully. Even if you tell me it’s a winner, the audience decides whether a movie is good or bad. They’re a lot smarter than me overall, so hopefully they all agree with you. (laugh.)

Of course, it’s a long way to get the camera working in the first place. When Tony Scott passed away in 2012, was there an urgency to continue on his behalf? Or is there a lot of uncertainty about whether to do it without him?

No, I think we always keep the film alive, but once Chokosinski talked to us about his vision for the film and the story he wanted to tell, we were hooked.So we took him to Paris where Tom was filming Mission: Impossible – Fallout. That was five years ago. Joe has a picture book, a poster and a title, Top Gun: Maverick, and then he told Tom about the character’s journey and the story he wanted to tell. Tom glanced at him, took out his mobile phone and called the person in charge of Paramount. [Jim Gianopulos] He said at the time, “I want to do another Top Gun. “That’s it. That’s when the wheels really start to move forward.

The Val Kilmer scene is magical. I think that’s going to be one of the scenarios that will be talked about for generations to come. From your perspective, how does it fit together?

Well, it’s Tom. He said, “I wouldn’t have made this movie without Val.” So he had some ideas on how he wanted to play it and what he wanted to do with it, and we loved it. When we shot it, it was a very exciting day to have Val there and see him working with Tom after 35 years. These two talented actors are working hard, and it’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience to have these two gentlemen on camera again.

So you know right away that you have something special.

Definitely. This is a very careful thing. Our screenwriter worked really hard with Tom and Joe to get that scene right. This is something we rewrite a lot until we feel it is as good as possible.

You and Tom are both resourceful, but how did you manage to get the entire cast approved in a matter of hours on a multi-million dollar plane?

I think it’s Tom. Every actor wants to have their own business and Tom is very generous and tells them how he built his business. But the actors put a lot of time and effort into making the film. They trained in the air for three months through G-Force tolerance. It’s tiring. They spend a lot of time away from their personal lives, but they make a commitment. Tom designed that program. We interviewed a lot of actors and we lost some actors because they wouldn’t make that promise. Some of them are afraid of flying and don’t want to go through what they have to go through. But these kids are very willing and they work very hard.

Then they have to undergo water survival training in case of an accident on the water and in the air. They were loaded into the fuselage, they were blindfolded, they were thrown into the water, they were turned over, and they had to figure out how to get out of the cockpit blindfolded. So they go through all of that. Tom, who experienced it 35 years ago, said, “I’ll do it again.” He didn’t need to, but he said, “If they’re going to do it, I’ll do it.” So he was the driving force. He kept sharing his career with them, and they were fascinated by being in this film and working hard. They do it so much fun. It was tiring and difficult, but a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all.

Are there any details in the film that add meaning to you on a personal level?

I think it’s a collective effort. I can’t focus on what I’m doing, but it’s really nice to be in the room between Tom, Joe, and the wonderful writers who worked with us as we developed the story. We worked hard with Tom to develop the story and the characters Joe envisioned, so it was fun to spend a lot of time on that before we started filming. Tom is a perfectionist and he wants to make sure we have the best possible script before we start shooting. So it’s months and months of script work.

In 1986, the sequel wasn’t as automatic as it is today, but Top Gunthe box office run?

Sure, we developed something, but it never went anywhere. So we all went out and did other things. Tom started making some great movies with great directors, actors and writers. I went and did what I did during that time.So our attention and focus are not Top Gun It was supposed to be, but it finally came together five years ago, basically.

You’ve already received rave reviews for this film. It tracks fine now. Would you like to tell more stories in this world?

I’m! I’m always looking for anything that I think is worth the audience’s money to sit and watch in a theater. I make a career in process film and television. CSI and Top Gun is the perfect example. We take you into a world you would never be a part of and show you how it actually works.that’s so important Top Gun. We took you into that world and you saw what these fighter pilots had to deal with. The commitment to excellence in these servicemen is staggering.

Lady Gaga’s song “Hold My Hand” completes the film. Is this a relatively late addition?

No, it’s not. I don’t know if it was there from the beginning, but I think we were in the editing process when she wrote the song. Then we got a call and we went over to listen. It took me by surprise.I flew to London with Joe and that song; Tom was getting ready Mission impossible. So we played it in Hans Zimmer’s studio and Tom flipped.Chris McQuarrie was there too because he was coaching Tom mission, he likes it too. Hans loved it so much that he said, “I’m going to use that melody as a love theme in the movie.” So the love theme in the movie is the melody in her song.

It’s definitely been a challenging few years for the theatrical experience, but Top Gun: Maverick It is expected to bring certain groups of people back to movie theaters for the first time in years.For example, my family hasn’t seen a movie in three years, but maverick will mark their return. So are you proud of the fact that you are bringing every generation back to the cinema?

I think it’s fantastic. I really. Back in my youth, when I was six, seven or eight years old, I looked forward to the days when my family would take me to the movies. I can’t wait to sit there, put my hands in the popcorn, and get lost in the world Hollywood has created. The new generation has the same experience.I always tell people, “You have a kitchen at home, but you still like to go out to eat. You have a TV with all the streaming, but there’s something about the group experience. Being able to laugh, be scared, and feel with a big group of people.” Emotions are so important.” and Top Gun: maverick is the perfect movie. We impress them with real humor, emotion and extraordinary action. This is not CGI.

The CinemaCon screening really felt like a rock show. I have never had such an experience in years.

I was there but I missed the screening.I have other sessions and a control panel after. I’ve seen the trailer, but not the finished movie. So I’m looking forward to the premiere tomorrow. [Writer’s Note: This interview was conducted on May 3.] It will be very exciting. I’m also looking forward to opening weekend as I’m going somewhere in LA or whatever city I’m in to see the audience reaction. That’s my biggest excitement, standing in the back of the theater and watching people enjoy what we’ve created.

Does the job still keep you as energized as it did when the original 1986 movie came out?

It does. As long as I can get the audience to clap and laugh, I’m there. I drive to do it and move them from one place to another.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

Top Gun: Maverick It opens in cinemas on May 27.