WTF Happened to Top Gun (1986)?

Tony Scott’s 1986 classic Top Gun is a definitive movie for its superstar lead, Tom Cruise. While he’s had (arguably) the best run of any movie star on the planet, Top Gun’s lead, Maverick, remains the part many of his fans identify him the most with. It took thirty-six years, but Cruise finally has a sequel ready with Top Gun: Maverick and the reviews so far have been outstanding. But, in a bittersweet twist, two of the men who made the film such a smash have since passed away. Uber-producer Don Simpson died in 1996, while Tony Scott died a decade ago, in 2012.

In this episode of WTF Happened to this Movie, we dig into the history behind Top Gun, including how Cruise was cast and his tense relationship with leading lady Kelly McGills and friendly adversary Val Kilmer. We also get into the real-life training many of the actors playing pilots had to undergo, including Anthony Edwards, who played the loyal but doomed Goose. And, of course, we dig into that iconic soundtrack, which included Kenny Loggins’ Danger Zone, Berlin’s Take My Breath Away and composer Harold Faltermeyer’s Top Gun Anthem. All of these elements made this the classic it is today, as we reveal in WTF Happened to Top Gun, which is written and narrated by Dave Davis, and edited by Juan Jimenez! Let us know what you think of Top Gun in the comments, and check out our Top Gun: Maverick review below!