Tom Cruise Put Young ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Cast Through Some ‘Grueling’ Training

Last updated: May 18, 2020 6:08 AM

3 Min Read

A Top Gun: Maverick producer has revealed Tom Cruise put his young co-stars through a “grueling” training program.

Speaking recently about the long-awaited sequel, Jerry Bruckheimer recalled the tough three months the actors spent in flight and survival training, noting that the program was designed by Cruise himself.

“He put the actors through this grueling process over three months so they could take the G-forces when we put them in the F/A-18s,” Bruckheimer told Yahoo!.

“It was really a tough slog for these young actors because they also had to go through water survival training, where they are blindfolded and put in a water tank that’s turned upside down and they have to figure out how to get out.”

“And Tom went through all the same stuff! They told me he went through that training just like a 22-year-old would — that's how good he is.” Or how insane his is?

The producer made sure to point out the only interior jet footage used in the original feature was of Cruise, because the other actors couldn't stomach the twists and turns.

As Bruckheimer reveals, Cruise worked at length with director Joseph Kosinski on devising a camera rig that'd allow the majority of the cast to get filmed while in their respective fighter jets.

“For Maverick, we put five cameras in the cockpit, so the actors not only had to act, they had to know when to turn the camera on and where the sun was to match the previous scene,” Bruckheimer added.

“They had a lot to do in that cockpit when they were flying these planes on sorties, which were designed by Tom and Joe. Tom gave all the briefings and all the debriefings after the shoot along with the great Top Gun pilots that we work with from the Navy.”

This sounds like it was a fun shoot!

Joining Cruise are Jennifer Connelly, Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer reprising their roles from the initial flick. Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, and Lewis Pullman are new additions this time around.

Top Gun: Maverick is set to hit theaters December 23, 2020.