It was 38 years ago today – on May 16, 1986 – that Tony Scott’s Top Gun first arrived in theaters, and it’s a date that Tom Cruise remembers. After all, the movie was one of the early hits that established the actor as a true Hollywood A-lister, and it will forever be reflected upon as a key part of his big screen history. As one would expect, Cruise has fond memories associated with the film (as well as its sequel, Top Gun: Maverick), and he celebrated its anniversary of the classic action film today with a sweet social media post.
Despite the fact that Top Gun is full of 1980s energy, it still feels crazy that the movie came out nearly four decades ago – and that’s reflected in Tom Cruise’s post to Twitter this afternoon. In addition to shock, he also expressed gratitude to the fanbase that has kept the love going for the film since it first hit theaters. The actor posted,
It’s incredible to look back on the thirty-eight years of Top Gun. To the fans who have been with us since the start, there wouldn’t be a Top Gun Day without you.
The Top Cruise post from Tom Cruise also included a collection of four behind-the-scenes photos from the making of the movie and Top Gun: Maverick (note: it’s not terribly hard to figure out which one is from the sequel). Two of the shots feature Cruise with director Tony Scott (who passed away in 2012), and having a chat with producer Jerry Bruckheimer:
It’s incredible to look back on the thirty-eight years of Top Gun. To the fans who have been with us since the start, there wouldn’t be a Top Gun Day without you. pic.twitter.com/xHl22CmdRGMay 13, 2024
Along with the message and photos, Tom Cruise also retweeted an official video from the official Top Gun Twitter account celebrating the blockbuster film’s latest anniversary – with a special focus on the full legacy of the franchise and clips from both the original movie and the years-later follow-up. It even ends with a salute from Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell that feels like a salute to fans for decades of love:
To the fans that have jet fuel in their blood, happy #TopGunDay. pic.twitter.com/G4JwIYQqtTMay 13, 2024
Appreciating these photos and video is one thing, and you may now find yourself blasting “Highway To The Danger Zone” and “Take My Breath Away” through your speakers… but everyone knows that the only proper way to celebrate Top Gun Day is by actually watching Top Gun – and that’s actually really easy to do nowadays. In addition to being on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, as well as available for digital rental and purchase, the beloved ’80s classic is accessible for both Prime Video subscribers and Paramount+ subscribers (you can also stream Top Gun: Maverick from the latter service).
Will we someday get a Top Gun 3 that further advance’s the franchise’s legacy? Tom Cruise has expressed optimism, but time will tell. We here at CinemaBlend are certainly paying attention to all chatter about the project, so stay tuned for all of the latest news and updates about the potential project.