On May 13, Tom Cruise immersed himself in a retrospective of the Top Gun film franchise, which has already been a great success 38 years after its premiere.
The 61-year-old action movie icon took to Instagram to share a series of behind-the-scenes photos of the classic 1986 movie to celebrate Top Gun Day on May 13.
Tom Cruise, who was only in his 20s and had a baby face, was pictured with his partner Val Kilmer, the late Top Gun director Tony Scott and filmmaker Jerry Bruckheimer. Not only did he share his memories of 1986, but he also attached a recent photo shoot of Top Gun: Maverick to give people a look back at classic moments from the original film.
The 2022 film was a great success, even surpassing the original film and ranking 12th all-time in box office receipts, sparking discussion about the third installment in the iconic franchise.
Tom Cruise wrote in the caption: "It's incredible to look back on the 38 years of Top Gun, and for the fans who have been with us since the beginning, there would be no Top Gun Day without you."
His post marked May 13 as Top Gun Day, despite being released a few days earlier than the original film's May 16 release.
Among the photographs is a black-and-white photograph that captures an unforgettable moment: the triumphant maverick meets his fellow pilot, Lieutenant Tom Iceman Kazanski. Kilmer was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015, but it wasn't until 2017 that he revealed his struggles, and his voice became incomprehensible after surgery. Despite this, he has a touching scene in Maverick where the protagonist's former rival becomes one of his best friends and confidants.
Included in the post was a photo of Tom Cruise being taken from the scene as he stared at an enlarged version of the photo hanging on the wall of the Navy building. The Mission: Impossible star's keen eyes are the focus of another close-up, paired with the image of a jet crashing into the mountains from Top Gun.
Another photo shows young Cruise in a flight suit and a maverick helmet that he recognizes at a glance. He and his partner Kilmer and Anthony Edwards were glimpsed in stills from the first "Top Gun" film, where they were briefed in an aircraft hangar.
The final photo shows Tom Cruise wearing a bomber jacket chatting with Top Gun producer Jerry Bruckheimer, smiling.
Back in January, Puck News reported that the A-lister would once again play a maverick role in the third Top Gun movie. However, despite the success of "Top Gun: Maverick" and nearly $1.5 billion at the box office, filming was delayed because he was unable to complete his eighth "Mission Impossible" movie.