Ford May Be Making Pickup Trucks Into Movie Theaters

Ford May Be Making Pickup Trucks Into Movie Theaters

Nowadays, there are so many ways to enjoy a movie other than the traditional theater experience. Netflix has started producing its own high-profile films for cinephiles to tune into conveniently at home, along with the ability for moviegoers to take their favorite films on the go to their phones, laptops and such.

What if you could turn the back of your pickup truck into its own movie theater with minimal installation required? Ford Motors has just patented an accessory for a pickup bed that does just that, per a Fox News report. Take a look at the design from the patent below:

The system is made of two telescoping supports that can mount into the receptacles built into the side of the pickup truck bed. The design allows for a movie projection screen, television or projector to be placed along with a place for a speaker system. It even allows for a TV screen to have the option to swivel.

It’s specifically designed to work on a Ford F-150 or Super Duty truck, and is meant to be better than a custom setup, because it doesn’t require drilling holes into the bed, which can lead to corrosion down the line. Ford has not announced plans to release a manufactured version of the design for purchase, but considering they patented it, this could be on the way.

This is an exciting idea, especially for tailgaters and campers who have dreamt of having a high-quality movie experience before the big game or under the stars next to their tents. Of course, there’s always the careless consumer, who might decide to keep TV on while on the freeway and distract other drivers from the road.

The design follows some other recent innovations to go along with pickup beds such as the Honda Ridgeline, which offers a bed-as-a-speaker system and the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500, which allows for an auxiliary stereo system to be built into a folding MultiPro tailgate. So it was only a matter of time before “pickup truck movie theaters” started being designed as well.

This is an idea that certainly only caters to an owner of a truck who often park them in places that demand for entertainment such as this but it’s certainly a unique one that can spice up one’s definition of movie night.

In the past, there was also a bed that could turn into a movie theater, that had a projector installed to the headboard and panels that can come down at the sides, for a comfy at-home movie viewing. It’s no wonder movie theaters are offering subscription services and Netflix to up-ing their game with special releases, given all the new innovations to make viewing movies easy and different.

Halle Berry Knows How To 'F--- Up' People After Training For John Wick 3

Halle Berry Knows How To 'F--- Up' People After Training For John Wick 3

Some minor spoilers for John Wick 3 can be found throughout this article.

By now, John Wick is a full-fledged franchise with an avid fanbase. On May 17, Lionsgate will release John Wick: Parabellum, the latest movie featuring our badass hero. This time around, the franchise is adding Halle Berry, and although she says she talked her way into the role, the training to play Sofia was intense.  At CinemaCon 2019 Berry admitted she feels comfortable enough having trained for John Wick 3 that she could handle herself in any situation. She noted:

It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life… It also changed my life but I learned skills that I can really use. I feel like if someone attacked me on the street, god bless them, because I know some shit now and I will fuck them up.

During the Lionsgate panel at CinemaCon 2019, Halle Berry admitted that even before the script was written for John Wick: Parabellum she knew she was correct for the role. She met with director Chad Stahelski and convinced him she was a good fit for the role.

But then the training started. The actress talked about how grueling working on John Wick: Parabellum was.

It all showed in the final project.

This week at CinemaCon, footage was debuted from the upcoming threequel. In it, Sofia and John Wick are taking on a large lot of bad guys, as people are wont to do in action movies. In one scene in particular, Halle Berry’s character is kicking a bad guy’s ass when another bad guy starts shooting from above. Sofia literally calls her dog, the dog jumps off the back, scales a giant wall and takes down the bad guy from above. Talk about stunts.

Chad Stahelski is known for action sequences and the new look at the movie didn’t disappoint. Look, if you’ve seen the early footage from the trailer for John Wick: Parabellum, or really either of the other movies, you kind of know what you are getting into, but the reaction when Halle Berry let a dog jump off her back was audible, and I hope everyone reading this has the same experience in the theater.

Later in the clip we saw, John Wick is caught in the middle of taking down myriad bad guys. He runs out of bullets just as his opponent does but manages to reload quickly to take out his opponent and another on the ground.

Although this footage isn't out and about yet, the movie is coming and it's coming soon. Catch the movie starting on May 17, and before you do that be sure to take a look at what we know about Chapter 3 of the saga.

It Sounds Like The New Shazam! Trailer Protects A Number Of The Film's Secrets

It Sounds Like The New Shazam! Trailer Protects A Number Of The Film's Secrets

This morning, with approximately a month to go until Shazam!’s release, Warner Bros finally dropped a new full-length trailer for the superhero movie, the first since the debut trailer came out at San Diego Comic-Con last year (though there have been a couple shorter previews released in the interim). The latest look at Shazam! was filled with new footage of Billy Batson showing off his special powers and fighting Dr. Thaddeus Sivana, but according to director David F. Sandberg, it doesn’t spoil any of the movies big secrets, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. As Sandberg responded to a fan who wanted to see more from the trailer:

That Doomsday hashtag calls back to when it was confirmed in one of the later Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice trailers that the beast who killed Superman in the comics was appearing in the movie. This revelation received a lot of backlash online since it spoiled what the climactic conflict would be. It’s one thing for a trailer to give viewers a taste of what’s to come, but to outright spoil major moments that would make for great surprises when actually seeing the movie is generally frowned upon. David F. Sandberg would rather someone wanting more than learning too much, as he stated on Twitter.

If you re-watch today’s Shazam! trailer, you’ll see that the first half of the preview hits most of the same beats that the previous trailer hit, from Billy Batson meeting the mysterious Wizard to testing out his powers with foster brother Freddie Freeman. The latter half gave us plenty of new footage, such as Billy activating an ATM with his magical lightning, catching a falling bus and failing to leap over a tall building in a single bound. With the accompaniment of Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady,” it was definitely an amusing new look at the seventh DC Extended Universe film, though I can understand why some fans might have been hoping it showed off more material. Nevertheless, I agree with David F. Sandberg about the new Shazam! trailer wisely not revealing too much.

Maybe I’d feel differently if this trailer came out several months before release, but as stated earlier, we’re now only weeks away from seeing Shazam! on the big screen. You can be sure there will be plenty of TV spots to follow, but with the movie so close, Warner Bros and DC might as well keep a few extra secrets close to the proverbial chest. In fact, there are two twists in Shazam! that have already been publicly confirmed, but for the general public, it’s wise for them to be surprised by said twists upon seeing the movie rather than learn about them in a trailer.

Warning: SPOILERS for Shazam! are ahead! If you’re content with what you’ve learned about the movie so far and want to stay in the dark from this point forward, turn back and read another one of our fine articles.

Although Shazam! is pulling from various eras of the eponymous hero’s history, the storyline is heavily inspired by the New 52 origin story that was written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Gary Frank. That story saw Billy, having only just received his superpowers from The Wizard, being forced to fight Black Adam, who had accidentally been resurrected by Dr. Thaddeus Sivana. But things only got worse from there. Eventually the Seven Deadly Sins (also known in past eras as the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man), demons that had been imprisoned by the Wizard, and that eventually led to Billy sharing his Shazam powers with his foster siblings: Freddie, Mary, Pedro, Eugene and Darla. Through teamwork, Shazam and the gang were able to triumph over the forces of evil.

By all accounts, it looks like the Shazam! movie will unfold similarly to those New 52 events, although obviously without Black Adam’s involvement. Once Billy Batson’s foster siblings were cast in the movie, there were numerous predictions about how they would become superheroes like their comic book counterparts, and now we know for sure that’s going to happen thanks to some toy releases and unofficial castings for the kids in their adult forms, just like how Zachary Levi is playing the adult form of Asher Angel’s Billy.

It was also confirmed last month that the Seven Deadly Sins (Pride, Envy, Greed, Wrath, Sloth, Gluttony and Lust), who can be briefly be seen in their stone forms in the Wizard’s base, the Rock of Eternity, will also end up causing trouble in Shazam! It remains to be seen how they’ll be freed, but one would assume Dr. Thaddeus Sivana is behind it. After being rejected as the Wizard’s champion as a child, the character has somehow managed to use science to unlock the secrets of magic as an adult, hence why he’s a physical match for Shazam in this movie. Sivana may be the main antagonist, but it’s easy enough to imagine a scenario where either accidentally or on purpose, he unleashes the Seven Deadly Sins. Knowing them, they could have promised to give him even more power, leading to them either combining their power was his to make even mightier or just betraying him. I’d lean towards the latter.

If Shazam! ends up being anywhere near as popular as Aquaman was, it’s possible we could see this particularly property also carving out its own special corner of the DCEU. If it’s at least financially successful, Warner Bros will likely give the green light to a sequel, and Dwayne Johnson has also been attached to lead a Black Adam movie for several years. For now, though, the World’s Mightiest Mortal needs to impress in his live action theatrical debut, and if there’s one thing that can be said about the movie, it’s that there are various surprises still in store.

Shazam! will work its magic in theaters April 5, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage. Don’t forget to also look through our DC movies guide to learn what other projects are in development for the DCEU, as well as our 2019 release schedule for plan your other silver screen visits later this year.

This Rotten Week: Predicting Long Shot, Uglydolls, The Intruder, And El Chicano Reviews

This Rotten Week: Predicting Long Shot, Uglydolls, The Intruder, And El Chicano Reviews

Following the release of one of the most anticipated movies in quite some time came out last week, it's natural to feel a cinematic hangover - but we still have four flicks hitting theaters this week in which we can sink our teeth. Get ready for Long Shot, Uglydolls, The Intruder and El Chicano.

Just remember, I'm not reviewing these movies, but rather predicting where they'll end up on the Tomatometer. Let's take a look at This Rotten Week has to offer.

Politics can be a tricky and controversial subject nowadays, but this one seems to circumvent all of that by framing it all as a romantic comedy. Long Shot centers on Charlize Theron’s Charlotte Field, the United States' Secretary of State, hiring her old ex-babysitee (Seth Rogen) to be a part of her team as a speechwriter. It’s a quirky premise that would seem a disaster if not for some of the players involved.

Director Jonathan Levine has helmed some quirky winners in the past like The Night Before (67%), 50/50 (93%), and Warm Bodies (81%), and the first two titles on that list starred Rogen as well. He has one miss with Snatched (36%), which was his last feature, but this latest won’t fall into that category. Thanks to its early premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, critics have already been sharing their opinion on this one, and the Tomatometer is currently sitting at 84% with 31 reviews posted. I don't think it will move very much over the course of the week.

The story appears quaint enough in Ugly Dolls: a group of unconventional stuffed animals live a rather peaceful life in their insular world, but find their perspective turned upside down doll universe where the other inhabitants are “perfect." It doesn't exactly look like a tale we've never seen before, and I’m a bit concerned with the execution. The trailers suggest the filmmakers spent more time making sure the songs sounded good, with the narrative taking a backseat.

Director Kelly Asbury’s critical record in the animated world leaves a lot to be desired. He’s directed Smurfs: The Lost Village (38%) and Gnomeo and Juliet (56%) in recent years, and his only real critical win came more than 15 years ago with Spirit: The Stallion of Cimarron (70%). Unfortunately, it looks like this latest film will fall in the former group. There are plenty of critically acclaimed animated features, but this one looks less than redeeming.

Buying a new house should be one of life's most exciting and unforgettable achievements, but it doesn't appear that's the full experience being had by Meagan Good and Michael Ealy's characters in The Intruder. Instead of being able to celebrate the purchase, they have to deal with a crazy man played by Dennis Quaid who is just a bit too attached to his old home.

It probably goes without saying, but The Intruder looks somewhat entertaining, but mostly ridiculous. It has all the earmarks of your run-of-the-mill thriller, with the tough-to-get-rid-of crazy guy doing a lot of stalking and engaging in an an ever-escalating series of violent interactions. Director Deon Taylor already made a similar film with Traffik (26%), and I don't expect this one will fare any better with critics.

Last weekend saw one of the biggest superhero movies of all time hit theaters, but this time around we're getting a costumed vigilante story that exists on a much smaller scale. El Chicano centers on a cop in Los Angeles (Raúl Castillo) who, while investigating gang and cartel activity in his jurisdiction, makes some startling discoveries about his dead brother and starts crimefighting in a different capacity.

It's not your typical superhero movie for sure, but El Chicano kind of looks watchable. It looks like the kind of movie where the hero takes on an ever-increasing amount of danger as he battles foe after foe, developing his skills and getting more badass in the process. I don't expect critics to fall in love with it, but I imagine them being split.

Simply put, I blew it with Avengers: Endgame (Predicted: 84% Actual: 96%) - and I’m saying that knowing that my prediction was only 12% off the mark. I never should have gone that low on this film, letting the overall average of the MCU movies cloud my judgment in predicting the score. Ultimately this flick was nearly perfect, a stunning and fitting closure to an incredible saga of films. It’s already destroying box office records, and that's as it should be. In retrospect, 100% would have been the better guess, and then I could have bagged the four percent of critics who couldn’t get on board.

Next time we’ve got the Detective Pikachu, The Hustle and Poms. It’s gonna be a Rotten Week!

The 10 Biggest Questions We Have After Avengers: Endgame

The 10 Biggest Questions We Have After Avengers: Endgame

The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame. You have been warned. Like all the spoilers. Honestly, if you didn't see this I suggest just quietly leaving this article and checking out one of our other excellent, nonspoilery articles. Like our nonspoilery ReelBlend review, for example.

We all expected Avengers: Endgame to be a massive, epic experience, and by most assessments, the film succeeded in every conceivable way. The film brought many of our favorite characters to satisfying, if not necessarily happy, endings. However, we all know the story doesn't entirely end here.

While many questions were answered in Endgame, many new ones were created because of what we saw onscreen. In addition, for those characters whose paths did not end here, plot threads have been left dangling which are sure to leave us curious for Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here are 10 of our biggest open questions...

Will We Ever See Regular Bruce Banner Again?

When we left Bruce Banner and the Hulk at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, the pair were having something of a spat. Hulk was keeping himself submerged, much to the frustration of Banner, who needed the help. Following the time jump at the beginning of Endgame, we see that Banner has successfully merged his own intelligence with the Hulk's strength, leading to him becoming the permanent big green guy, but with a complete vocabulary.

Does this mean that normal Banner, and angry Hulk for that matter, are gone for good? While we know that time has passed, it's a pretty jarring change considering that it's never really explained what the Hulk's problem was the first time around. If Banner is truly happy as the Hulk full-time, that's great, but one wonders if he might miss becoming human after a while.

What Happened To Gamora?

Of all the various developments that have changed things in the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward, one of the more interesting was the way that Gamora was "brought back." Rather than simply being resurrected after her death in Infinity War (which is explained as something that cannot happen after being killed as a sacrifice for the Soul Stone), we saw a younger Gamora time travel from before the point where we first met her in Guardians of the Galaxy. So, the new Gamora is actually the Gamora from nine years ago, a Gamora who never fell for Peter Quill.

Still, at the end of Avengers: Endgame we see Quill searching for Gamora, implying that she's still alive, and escaped the final battle. Are we sure that's true? Why wouldn't Tony Stark's snap have wiped her out along with everybody else that came forward in time? Could Stark's snap request get super specific? If she is out there now, how did she escape? Thanos' ship was basically turned to scrap by the end of the battle. Is she somewhere hiding on Earth?

What Happened to Loki?

One of the more humorous moments of Avengers: Endgame comes when the team first tries to procure the Tesseract, and instead it ends up in the hands of the captured Loki. Given his chance, he grabs it and vanishes, never to be seen again in the movie.

What exactly does this mean for Loki? Is he still dead? Is he alive? This action would seem to have caused a parallel time stream to diverge from our own, and there's now a timeline where Loki ran off with one of the Infinity Stones. I would love to know how else this timeline could change because of this event. Could this be the explanation of what the new Loki Disney+ series will actually be about?

Why Was Steve Able To Lift Mjolnir Now?

There are a number of moments throughout Avengers: Endgame that probably made longtime fans jump in their seats shouting "hell yeah," but near the top of that list has to be Captain America swinging Thor's hammer Mjolnir. Only those who are worthy may wield the weapon. Even Thor himself isn't sure he would still qualify until he tries to summon the weapon earlier in the film.

While there's no question that Steve Rogers is a good man, perhaps the best of us, he once previously tried to lift the hammer, and while he was able to make it move, he could not lift it. What exactly has changed that made Captain America unworthy then, but worthy now? Thor is unsurprised, but he hasn't even seen Rogers in the last five years, so how could he know what Cap could do?

Why Was Harley At The Funeral?

You'd be forgiven for not even recognizing the young man standing alone at Tony Stark's funeral, the last time you saw him was six years ago (and that's in actual time) in Iron Man 3. He is a much more grown-up Harley Keener, the young boy who helps out Tony Stark in the now-known-to-be final Iron Man movie.

Because actor Ty Simpkins looks a lot different than he did back then, he's almost impossible to recognize. For that reason even including him seems a little odd. There's no indication that he and Tony Stark have kept in contact since the events of Iron Man 3. Is this moment just another Easter egg for the fans who will recognize it or is there something more to seeing Harley appear once again? Will we see him again?

Is Fat Thor A Guardian Now?

One of the more interesting developments at the end of Avengers: Endgame that seems to indicate a direction for the future is that Thor is leaving Earth with the Guardians of the Galaxy. He even goes so far as to dub the new team the "Asgardians of the Galaxy" which is the name of an actual team of heroes that has appeared in Marvel Comics.

Does this mean Thor is now a permanent member of the Guardians? Has James Gunn's script for the forthcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 included Thor all this time? If so, this has the potential to change the entire dynamic of this franchise. If not, what's going to happen to Thor between now and that film's release?

Did Peter Parker's Entire High School Class Die In The Snap?

At the end of Avengers: Endgame, as we watch all of our characters returning to their lives, we see Peter going back to high school. There he embraces his friend Ned. Based on the fact that Ned isn't five years older, we can assume that he also perished at the end of Infinity War, but based on the trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home, it looks like that's the case for every returning character in that series.

Based on the fact that five years of time have passed, in the MCU we must assume that in addition to Peter and Ned, MJ and Flash also spent five years dead, as they're all still in high school in Far From Home and appear to be the same age. Of course, the other question is, has high school even been happening for the last five years? It looks like most of civilization has simply fallen apart following the snap. How was Peter even able to go back to school so quickly in the first place?

Why does Steve Take Mjolnir Back In Time?

Captain America takes on the responsibility of returning the Infinity Stones to their proper points in time, in order to have as little impact on time and space as possible. However, he takes one other item with him as well. Thor's hammer Mjolnir.

Is he bringing the weapon in case he has trouble returning the stones? Is he planning on returning it at the same time that he drops the Aether back on Asgard? I suppose that timeline's Thor will eventually miss his hammer if it's gone for too long. Perhaps Steve needs the hammer to return the Aether at all. Of all the places he's going back, Asgard might actually be the most complicated for him if he's seen. Except, of course...

Did Cap Return the Soul Stone?

The most interesting stone for Steve Rogers to actually return would have been the Soul Stone. Did he actually take it back to the planet Vormir? It's possible Steve just simply re-hid that stone in some other place. If nobody alive knows where it is, then it doesn't need to be anywhere. Although, if he did bring it back to its home, that's an even more interesting question.

First off, if Steve Rogers does go to Vormir, that means he's going to run in to the Red Skull once again. That's a meeting I would love to have seen. The Skull isn't quite the man he once was, but that's what makes it interesting. The even bigger question, however, is what happens if you return the Soul Stone at all? If one must trade a life for the stone, then does returning the stone mean you can take back the life as well? If so, can Black Widow potentially return?

What The Hell Happens Now?

This, of course, is really the only question that matters. If you've been following the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the last 11 years, this is what you're asking. Frequently, Marvel has used additional scenes inside the credits to give us an indication of what's next, but Avengers: Endgame became the first MCU movie to date to have none. Not even just for fun.

Of course, in the short-term we do know the answer to this question. Spider-Man: Far From Home is what's next, and it's only a couple of months away, but after that we don't even know what movies are coming or in what order we'll see them. How will our heroes stories continue forward? How will those who returned to life five years in the future come to terms with this changed world? What new threat will come forward that will need Earth's Mightiest Heroes to fight it?

Unless the day comes that the MCU actually comes to a total end, there will never be a lack of questions to ask. Avengers: Endgame was the end of several stories, but not the entire story.

Hellboy's David Harbour And Mike Mignola Had A Weirdly Touching Moment At Movie's Premiere

Hellboy's David Harbour And Mike Mignola Had A Weirdly Touching Moment At Movie's Premiere

Fans of the Hellboy comics and films have waited an awfully long time for a new movie. While the return of the character to the big screen didn't quite happen the way many hoped or expected, the return is almost here regardless. Hellboy creator Mike Mignola was certainly one of those people who wanted to see Hellboy return and David Harbour was the actor who brought him back to life. Maybe that's why the two shared a moment at the film's New York City premiere which Harbour calls "weirdly touching." Check out both images below.

While the moment might have been weirdly touching, it also meant the pair were touching weirdly. The first image posted by David Harbour to Instagram shows him posing with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola in a fairly standard and comfortable pose. The second image is the one Harbour refers to in his post, with his hand on Mignola's chest. It is a fairly odd looking image, which is likely why the Hellboy actor felt the need to explain himself.

It may sound slightly odd to have such an emotional reaction to a character who is a literal demon, but then, if Hellboy is a character that's important to you, it doesn't need to be explained. Harbour was clearly touched by having the chance to play the iconic character, and he has Mike Mignola to thank for that. If the worst thing that happens is awkward looking photo, it's not a problem at all.

Whether the rest of us will have the same reaction to Hellboy remains to be seen. After several years of attempts by Guillermo del Toro to complete his own Hellboy trilogy, fans learned that any chance of that was officially gone when it was revealed that instead, the character would be rebooted. A darker, and more horror inspired version, closer to the original comic, was promised. And the new movie is rated-R, so at least some of that idea appears to have been executed.

Hellboy will have its work cut out for it at the box office. The film is sandwiched between the more light-hearted (though not entirely family friendly) Shazam!, which is going into its second weekend, and the blockbuster movie more than a decade in the making, Avengers: Endgame, coming out in a couple weeks. Hellboy as a character certainly doesn't have the following of either the Marvel or DC heroes. At the same time, that makes Hellboy a more unique entry in the parade of comic book based movies, and that alone might be enough to help it stand out.

Clearly, Hellboy was a labor of love for the people involved. Whether the rest of us will have such an emotional reaction will be revealed when the new Hellboy debuts tomorrow night.

Top Gun 2: What We Know So Far About Maverick

Top Gun 2: What We Know So Far About Maverick

Do you feel the need for speed? We're willing to bet that you probably do, because there's a long-awaited sequel coming to theaters next year, and it has us squarely in the Danger Zone. That's right, folks. We're talking about Top Gun 2 a.k.a. Top Gun: Maverick. Many fans of the original film have spent the better part of the last three decades wondering if and when the sequel would ever happen, and we now know that Paramount is hard at work bringing us the long-awaited follow-up to the classic naval aviator movie that defined a generation and created a number of instant pop culture touchstones.

Cameras recently began rolling on the highly-anticipated sequel to Tony Scott's 1986 classic, and now it's time to look into the project and see what we know about it. With that in mind, and ahead of the film's July 12, 2019 release, we have put together a handy guide of everything you need to know about Top Gun: Maverick before it flies its way into theaters. We have several different points to get to, so let's start with the status of the film itself.

What Is The Top Gun: Maverick Release Date?

As noted earlier, Top Gun: Maverick is currently aiming for a summer release date. More specifically, the film will bow for audiences on July 12, 2019. This generally lines up with what we would've expected from this sequel, as the original debuted in May 1986, and the Top Gun brand is generally associated with the summer blockbuster season.

The definitive release date for Top Gun: Maverick is also noteworthy because of the sheer number of false starts that this project has experienced over the years. A Top Gun sequel is something that Tom Cruise has talked about for a very long time, but now that Top Gun: Maverick actually has a release date and is in the midst of production, it means that the movie is actually closer than ever to becoming a reality.

What Is The Top Gun: Maverick Rating?

With Top Gun: Maverick currently shooting in San Diego, California, we don't know what the film will be rated just yet. That said, given the fact that the first film was rated PG-13, it would make sense to assume that the sequel could get a similar rating when it goes in front of the MPAA. Even if the story is darker than the original, the odds of an R classification seem pretty slim. This is, probably, not going to be that type of movie.

What Is The Top Gun: Maverick Story?

Key details about the story of Top Gun: Maverick remain under wraps, but the clues that we do have suggest something that will honor, specifically, the movie that came before. The fact that the sequel is filming in San Diego seems to suggest that we will once again see Maverick at the Top Gun academy in Miramar, which is where he chose to become an instructor at the end of the first film.

Also worth noting is the fact that rumors of drone warfare playing a role in the sequel have been blown out of proportion. In fact, CinemaBlend asked director Joseph Kosinski about this in 2017, and he specifically pointed out that Top Gun is more about pilots than it is about planes, so sending Maverick up against a set of advanced drones would not make sense for the ethos of the franchise. So, don't worry; it looks like this won't be another Stealth.

Who Is Working On Top Gun: Maverick?

As we have already noted in this guide (and we will continue to note), Top Gun: Maverick is bringing Tom Cruise back as the titular pilot. However, he is obviously not the only key figure involved in the development and production of this movie. Specifically, the film has also enlisted the filmmaking talents of none other than Joseph Kosinski, who is perhaps best known for his work on Tron: Legacy, Oblivion (another collaboration with Tom Cruise), and 2017's Only the Brave. Kosinski has some big shoes to fill, as he's taking over the late, great Tony Scott.

In addition to Joseph Kosinski, Top Gun: Maverick also has another major player behind the scenes as well: Jerry Bruckheimer. A key figure on the first movie, Bruckheimer is returning to produce the project along with Tommy Harper and David Ellison.

What Planes Will Appear In Top Gun: Maverick?

If you have seen the original Top Gun, then you already know that the F-14 fighter jet is as much of a character as any human seen in the film. That said, the Navy does not use the F-14 anymore, which means that it's time for us to look into the details and see what other planes might show up.

With that in mind, when the first-look at Top Gun: Maverick dropped earlier this year, it looked as if Maverick was walking towards an F-18 sitting on a tarmac. That said, the controversial image does not explicitly indicate that Maverick is going to get into that specific plane, leading some to wonder if there's another jet waiting in the wings (pun very much intended). If he doesn't get into the F-18, then it's very possible that we could also see him hop into the cockpit of the F-35.

How Much Will Top Gun: Maverick Connect To Top Gun?

At this point, we still know very little about Top Gun: Maverick or how it will connect to the movie that preceded it. Given the fact that the film will once again focus on Tom Cruise as Pete Mitchell, it makes plenty of sense to assume that this will provide the character with another trial to continue his arc and development. Having said that, when we consider how complete the arc of the first movie is, we still have no idea if any definitive narrative threads will carry over, aside from a few other returning characters.

Tom Cruise As Pete "Maverick" Mitchell

There's really no getting around this one. You cannot have a movie called Top Gun: Maverick without Maverick himself. Tom Cruise is set to return to the Top Gun universe as the hotshot fighter pilot, and we could not be more excited. The movie star has become a bona fide action icon in the years since the original debuted, with films like Mission: Impossible -- Rogue Nation and Collateral proving his stunt and dramatic chops, so we're excited to see what Cruise can do when he gets back in the cockpit.

With Tom Cruise reprising one of his most iconic roles, we're left to wonder how Maverick has changed in the years since the original movie. The original Top Gun is a movie about Maverick's acceptance of the death of his father and the death of Goose, which leads to hum no longer being an outsider. Given the completion of that arc, the new film will have to do something entirely different.

Val Kilmer As Tom "Iceman" Kazansky

One of the key sources of conflict in the original Top Gun came in the form of the rivalry between Maverick and Iceman during their time at the Top Gun academy. As his name suggested, Maverick's personality led him to fly by the seat of his pants, while Iceman preferred a colder and more measured approach to aerial combat. They reconciled their differences by the end of the movie, and now we can look forward to the continuation of that story with Val Kilmer returning to his famous role.

This should come as no surprise, as the former Batman has lobbied to return for Top Gun: Maverick for quite a while. Having said that, while we do know that Maverick will get in a jet in the upcoming sequel, we don't know if Iceman will still be a flyboy as well.

Wrigley "Riot" Bradshaw

Aside from the fact that Top Gun: Maverick will bring Tom Cruise's Pete Mitchell back into action for another round of badass dogfights, the most evident connection between the sequel and the original that we have been able to glean is the fact that Top Gun: Maverick will apparently bring in the son of Goose (Anthony Edwards) to play a role in the film. The death of Maverick's best friend continues to stand out as one of the most emotionally wrenching moments in the original movie, and the presence of his next of kin (briefly seen as a child in the first film) means that Maverick will still have to deal with the fallout of the accident when Goose's son shows up in a new generation of pilots.

That said, this raises some interesting questions when we consider how Goose's family views Maverick. In the original Top Gun, Maverick and Goose's wife (Meg Ryan) maintain a good relationship after the death of the beloved navigator, and it's never explicitly stated that anyone harbors any ill will towards Pete Mitchell -- if anything, the fact that Maverick isn't punished weighs on him even more. With three decades separating Goose's death and the introduction of his son (the casting of which has yet to be announced), Top Gun: Maverick needs to explain if this new character is a source of comfort for Maverick or a ghost from his past.

Tom Skerritt As Mike "Viper" Metcalf?

Top Gun is a franchise that predicates a lot of its stories on the concept of fatherhood and mentorship. Maverick's entire personality is carved out of the devastating loss of his dad, and much of his time at the Top Gun academy in 1986 was spent under the tutelage of Tom Skerritt's Viper -- a man who knew the truth about the fate of Maverick's father in Vietnam. We have yet to learn if Viper is set to return alongside Maverick and Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick, but Skerritt is still an active performer, so it remains possible.

Of course, one obvious thing that we should point out is that Viper's role has primarily been bequeathed to Maverick at this point. With Riot arriving at the Top Gun academy to train, Pete Mitchell will have to deal with his demons and grapple with his knowledge about how Goose died. This could easily pave the way for Skerritt's return in a sage-like role, or it could mean that he won't return at all.

Kelly McGillis As Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood?

Though the bulk of the emotional core in the first Top Gun focused on the relationship between Goose and Maverick, there was also a love story that has become just as famous. Specifically, we're referring to Kelly McGillis as Charlie -- a civilian analyst responsible for teaching the students at the Top Gun Academy in Miramar. Charlie was the one woman who could get Maverick to settle down, and Top Gun ended with the implication that they would go on to start a life together.

With all of that said, Kelly McGillis has definitely slowed down as an actress over the years. Moreover, Top Gun: Maverick is not listed as one of her current projects on IMDb. With the cameras now rolling, we will have to wait and see if she will eventually sign onto the project.

Michael Ironside As Rick "Jester" Heatherly

Every good military movie needs a drill instructor character to beat the heroes down emotionally and teach them how to handle a fight. Full Metal Jacket had the late R. Lee Ermey, and Top Gun had Michael Ironside as Jester. The ace fighter pilot served as the perfect counterpoint to Tom Skerritt's more reserved Viper, and his battles against Maverick and Goose continue to stand out as some of the best elements of the original movie.

That said, we still have no idea if Michael Ironside will return as Jester in Top Gun: Maverick. The 68-year-old Sam Fisher voice actor remains very active as a performer, but he has not signed on for the sequel yet. This absence could indicate that he simply has not agreed to join the project yet, or it could mean that Jester retired from active duty sometime between 1986 and 2019.

Kenny Loggins And "Danger Zone"

Of course, while there are numerous iconic story elements that make Top Gun the classic action film that it is, few aspects of the movie can compare to the beloved soundtrack. Numerous artists contributed songs to the original Top Gun soundtrack, but it's Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" that has handily become the go-to song associated with the film. Now, with Top Gun: Maverick in development, Kenny Loggins is going back to the drawing board to rework "Danger Zone" and update it for the modern era.

We don't have much information to work with yet, but what Loggins has shared about the project is enticing nonetheless. Specifically, the singer has confirmed that he's toying with the idea of recording a duet version of the song. It will undoubtedly be tough to match the sheer iconography of the first film, but we are intrigued to see where "Danger Zone" goes from here. Given director Joseph Kosinski's history of working with popular artists like Daft Punk, M83, and Dierks Bentley in his previous films, it's anyone's guess as to whom they will get.