‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Director Joseph Kosinski Discusses Fan Theories and Val Kilmer’s First Reaction to His Favorite Scene

[This story contains spoilers for Top Gun: Maverick.]

Joseph Kosinski Top Gun: Maverick he keeps breaking record after record, just like his main character. The best weapon The sequel is over Avengers: Infinity War to become the sixth-biggest domestic film of all time and currently ranks twelfth at the global box office of all time. It’s an incredible achievement, to say the least, for a sequel to Tony Scott’s 36-year-old film, especially as it doesn’t fit the profile of most current record holders.

It is natural when a large part of the population is grouped together as part of pop culture, as DissidentFan theories are about to surface, and the group’s leader has revolved around the film’s opening sequence, which features the Darkstar hypersonic jet. The theory posited the idea that Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) died after reaching Mach 10, turning the rest of the film into a dying dream. When asked if he wanted to back out of this performance, Kosinski refused to do so.

“Movies are made for different interpretations and I love it when people read different meanings in them. So I love hearing that theory, and there’s certainly a mythical element to the story that I think lends itself to that kind of interpretation, based on who Maverick is and what he represents and the fact that he goes through this ritual. about moving into a different phase of his life, Kosinski tells him the hollywood reporter During the last press day for the film’s digital release.

The director also remembers first showing Val Kilmer’s now-beloved Iceman-Maverick reunion scene.

“Obviously we were all a little nervous about showing him just because we really wanted him to like it. But his response was wonderful. “He was so happy and so excited that it made us feel good and maybe we got it right,” Kosinski recalled.

in the last conversation THRKosinski also addresses whether there is any foreshadowing in the Great Fireballs scene.

Congratulations on the number one miracle and the 1.4 billion dollar miracle.

(laughs.) Thank you so much. I am aware that.

Although we live in a time of great distrust and disagreement, one thing everyone has agreed on recently is virtue. Top Gun: Maverick. So why do you think? Dissident Has this become a rare exception?

Well, we made a movie to be enjoyed on the big screen, in the best cinema you can find, and we finally got to a point where people felt comfortable going back to the cinema to rediscover the experience we’ve all been missing for a long time. . Few years. . So I think that had a lot to do with it. This news also affected people. They saw Tom return as a Maverick after 35 years and it was a real thrill for the crowd. So we just wanted to make an old school movie. We filmed it the old-fashioned way, with real high-tech equipment, and I think people really felt the effort it took to make a practical film. The feedback he was getting from people was that they were on the edge of their seats as they watched him. So it’s one of those things where you really appreciate the power of hands-on cinema when you’re listening to a story.

The bar scene serves many purposes, and I think one of them is to immediately establish that Rooster (Miles Teller) is a better leader than Executioner (Glen Powell). When we find Hangman, he’s running up against his best friend Coyote (Greg Tarzan Davis), arrows and billiards, and also badmouths the other pilots. When Rooster arrives, he is warmly welcomed by everyone except the Executioner, and then he joins the bar via “Big Fireballs”. And the pilots sing around the Rooster – Phoenix (Monica Bárbara), Bobby (Lewis Pullman), Payback (Jay Ellis) and Fanboy (Danny Ramirez), all pilots chosen for the third act mission. They were the only riders you showed during the Galo song. Hangman, Coyote and other patches were not shown. So, did you see a preview of the final team during “Great Balls of Fire”?

(Kosinsky smiles.) I think you’re really into something. Maverick needed to choose a wingman for this last mission, someone he could trust, someone who would come back for him, as the Rooster does in the third act. He returns to Maverick despite everything and everyone saying no. This is what Maverick was looking for in the final mission. Hangman is an amazing pilot, but he still had some lessons to learn during this movie. And, of course, he ends up coming out spectacularly. The Executioner had to grow up a little, mature a little for the pilot, and by the end of the movie he realizes he’s been through that arc and learned his lesson. So I think it shows that Maverick picked the right man for the final mission, and in a way, Rooster inherited a lot of these traits from his father. And Maverick saw it in him.

I’m sure you’ve heard the popular theory that Maverick died in the first Darkstar sequel, which makes the rest of the movie a dying dream. Want to throw cold water on this interpretation?

(laughs.) No, movies are meant to be interpreted in different ways, and I love it when people read different meanings in them. So I love hearing that theory, and there’s certainly a mythical element to the story that I think lends itself to that kind of interpretation, based on who Maverick is and what he represents and the fact that he goes through this ritual. at different stages of their life. So I like this theory. Movies are something you must roleplay and are based on how you see the world and your experiences. That’s why I don’t throw cold water. It’s a great interpretation of the story.

The Val Kilmer stage will be celebrated for generations. It’s just magical. Do you remember the first time you showed the finished scene to Tom and Val?

Well, Tom was involved in the entire editorial process of shaping that scene and building that scene. So there was never time for him to show the ending. He was there when it all unfolded and was clearly a big part of it. But I remember the first time I showed it to Val. It’s a very different memory because he came to see parts of the movie. So that was a scene he wanted to see, and obviously we were all a little nervous about showing him just because we really wanted him to like it. But his response was wonderful. I was so happy and so excited that we all felt good and maybe we did well.

Like Stinger (James Tolkan) in the original film, Ed Harris’ character Hammer gives Maverick a beating before sending him back to TOPGUN. So, just out of curiosity, did you ever consider pinning the book to show Hammer’s response to Maverick’s latest exploits, as well as Stinger at the end of the first one?

You know, we never discussed this. You are the first to mention it. But it was a dream come true to be able to work with Ed Harris and play that role at the beginning of the film. When it came to finding an actor who could use Maverick, it was the guy who played John Glenn. The The correct It was a dream and thank God he said yes. He just went in and destroyed the paper like we all wanted him to. So I think it served his purpose in the movie and helped move Maverick’s arc. I don’t think we ever found it necessary to bring him back in the end.

I can’t remember the last time a movie made $1.4 billion and didn’t have a sequel. Has Paramount ever sent a convoy of Brink trucks to your house? Fancy gifts pop up right away, hoping you’ll come up with another idea?

(laughs.) No, I think if another movie happened, it would happen the same way. We are all excited for the release of this film as it has been a long journey. It’s been five years for me, 35 years for Jerry [Bruckheimer] and tone We are all benefiting from the response this film has received. And maybe in the future, if we have a story that feels like it should happen, then maybe it will, but right now, I think we’re all enjoying the relief of releasing this one.

So Joe, congratulations again on such a historic achievement. The CinemaCon screening was the best day I’ve had since March 2020, so thanks for making it possible.

I really appreciate it. I was there that day too and it was definitely a day I will never forget.

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Top Gun: Maverick It’s in theaters now and digitally on August 23. This interview has been edited for length and clarity..