Tom Cruise put Top Gun: Maverick cast through ‘gruelling’ flight training

‘If we’re gonna do it, we’re gonna fly in the F-18s,’ actor said

Tom Cruise put the cast of Top Gun: Maverick through “gruelling” flight training while preparing to shoot the film.

The much-delayed film sees Cruise reprise the role of US naval aviator Pete Mitchell and is being released 36 years after the 1986 original.

In behind-the-scenes footage from the movie, Cruise explained how the cast undertook “challenging”, “all-encompassing” aviation training for the film – at his request.

“We worked with the Navy and the Top Gun school to formulate how to shoot it practically,” Cruise said, adding: “Because if we’re gonna do it, we’re gonna fly in the F-18s.”

The actors learnt how to operate the cameras while inside the jets, with Cruise saying: “I had to really teach them cinematography and the lighting so they understood what’s gonna look good on camera… I’m very proud of what we all accomplished. Each one of them are extraordinary.”

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer continued: “​​The aviation sequences had to be real, so our actors went through three months of gruelling training.” Footage showed the cast flying high-speed planes and taking part in a “challenging” underwater programme.

Actor Monica Barbaro explained that “Tom designed this all-encompassing aviation training for all the actors”.

“Everybody thought it would be impossible for the actors to really be in the jets,” said Whiplash star Miles Teller, with Glen Powell adding: “But that’s the gift that Tom gave us, that by the time we got up there, we could handle it.”

Top Gun: Maverick is released in UK cinemas on 25 May.