‘Top Gun’ director feared Lady Gaga’s theme song was going to suck

Tom Cruise set out to make the follow-up film to his beloved 1986 hit,  he knew the success of the story would hinge on not only the storyline and motivations of his character, Pete «Maverick» Mitchell, but in the squadron of young, up-and-coming Navy pilots Maverick is tasked with leading through their near-impossible mission.«We had to find not only the actors that are correct for the roles, or just a great cast, which we have in there — each one of them are extraordinary, charismatic, each one very distinct,» Cruise said in an exclusive ET featurette from the set of the film. «We also, prior to [filming], I had to go look.

Top Gun: Maverick has opened up on the power of Lady Gaga’s powerful song on the film, recalling when those behind the movie heard it for the first time. The sequel, released 36 years after the original came out in 1986, sees Tom Cruise return as the legendary Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, as the time comes for him to share his knowledge and skills with the younger generation. The tale is nostalgic to say the least, drawing on the original’s classic soundtrack and introducing new songs to the franchise, including Lady Gaga’s ballad Hold My Hand, which has been described as ‘a love letter to the world during and after a very hard time’.

Wilson Chapman editorLess than a month after the highly anticipated “Top Gun: Maverick” flies into theaters, director Joseph Kosinski is reuniting with star Miles Teller for the Netflix sci-fi thriller “Spiderhead.”Based on the George Saunders short story “Escape From Spiderhead,” which was originally published in The New Yorker, “Spiderhead” stars Teller as a prisoner at the titular state-of-the-art penitentiary, designed by inventor Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth). Located on a gorgeous island, the island offers its prisoners reduced prison sentences and good accommodations at a price; every inmate wears a surgically attached experimental device that administers mind-altering drugs in their brain.Although Abnesti is convinced that his work will save lives, the experiments he carries out on his patients begins to test the boundaries of free will.

Tom Cruise as Pete «Maverick» Mitchell and features a special return from Val Kilmer as now-Admiral Tom «Iceman» Kazansky -- doesn't feature any appearances from the female stars of the 1986 original: Kelly McGillis and Meg Ryan.Ryan's character, Carole, the wife of Maverick's late wingman and best friend Nick «Goose» Bradshaw (played by Anthony Edwards) and mother to Miles Teller's Bradley «Rooster» Bradshaw, is referenced in the sequel and seen in flashback scenes. However, there isn't even a mention of McGillis' Charlie Blackwood, a Top Gun instructor and Maverick's love interested in the original.«Those weren't stories that we were throwing around,» Maverick director Joseph Kosinski told Insider of the actresses' absences.

This month will see the return of beloved genre auteur David Cronenberg (“Crash,” “Naked Lunch”) to the Cannes Film Festival with his anticipated body horror pic “Crimes of The Future,” which boasts an impressive cast that includes Viggo Mortensen, Lea Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart. During a lengthy interview with Variety, the Canadian filmmaker talked about the studio offers he passed on during the 1980s that included a story about an unnamed Lucasfilm executive/representative hanging upon him when they reached out to him about directing “Star Wars: Return of The Jedi” after Cronenberg mentioned he only directs his own material.

Director David Leitch recently confirmed that Lady Gaga was intended to star in his upcoming movie, “Bullet Train.” Leitch, known for movies such as “Deadpool 2” (2018) and “John Wick” (2014), told Entertainment Weekly that the talks fell apart after Gaga was given the role of Patrizia Reggiani in the Oscar-nominated movie “House of Gucci” (2021) from director Ridley Scott. READ MORE: Will Smith Projects Put On Hold: ‘Bad Boys 4’ & Netflix’s ‘Fast and Loose’ Which David Leitch Has Left “There were short discussions and then, this isn’t going to work because she was preparing for the Ridley movie ‘[House of] Gucci.

Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski has explained why two major characters from the first film didn’t return for the sequel.Kelly McGillis, who plays Pete “Maverick” Mitchell’s love interest Charlie Blackwood, and Meg Ryan as Goose’s wife Carole Bradshaw are both noticeably absent from the new movie.Miles Teller has been cast as Nick “Goose” Bradshaw’s son in the new film, but his mother does not appear.“Those weren’t stories that we were throwing around,” Kosinski said in an interview with Insider, saying that he hadn’t considered bringing the two women back.“I didn’t want every storyline to always be looking backwards,” Kosinski said. “It was important to introduce some new characters.”Twenty One Pilots’ Tyler Joseph, meanwhile, has claimed he was asked to write a song for the film before Tom Cruise rescinded the offer.“I saw some scenes.

premieres later this month, though two major female leads from the original story won’t be seen: Kelly McGillis and Meg Ryan.McGillis played Charlie Blackwood, a flight instructor and the object of Maverick’s affection. Ryan, meanwhile, portrayed the wife of Goose Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), Maverick’s best friend and co-pilot who dies on the job.Joseph Kosinski, who directed the sequel, confessed to Insider that he had no intention of ever bringing the two women back for “Maverick.”“Those weren’t stories that we were throwing around,” Kosinski said.He also explained that there were already too many narratives occurring in the new film, including the return of Val Kilmer as Iceman Kazansky, and Maverick training Goose’s son, Rooster (Miles Teller).The sequel focuses on Maverick’s Navy pilot career 30 years after the first film, and introduces a slew of hopeful recruits for the veteran to train.McGillis, now 64, previously discussed not being asked to join the second flick back in 2019.

With Tom Cruise reprising his “Top Gun” role in the new sequel “Top Gun: Maverick”, fans may have noticed that while some stars from the original (such as Val Kilmer) are back for brief cameos, that isn’t the case with Kelly McGillis and Meg Ryan, neither of whom appear in the new movie.

Twenty One Pilots singer Tyler Joseph has claimed that he was asked to write a song for the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack before star and producer Tom Cruise rescinded the offer.Joseph said in a new interview that he was invited to contribute a song for the sequel to 1986’s Top Gun.“I was working with the music placement person for the new Top Gun on writing a new song for them and then I believe Tom Cruise just came in and just fired everyone,” Joseph told Californian radio station KROQ yesterday (May 9) [via MusicNews].According to Joseph, he hadn’t actually started work on the project when Cruise allegedly pulled the plug. He added that his input was likely affected by changes made to the film as a result of the COVID pandemic.“I saw some scenes.

On Tuesday, Lady Gaga dropped "Hold My Hand," a single from the soundtrack of Top Gun: Maverick, a sequel to the beloved, high-flying, homoerotic 1986 Tom Cruise vehicle Top Gun. Today, she's shared the track's visuals courtesy of Joe Kosinski, the director of the forthcoming feature.

“Hold My Hand,” the new single from the movie’s soundtrack.But when Berlin recorded “Take My Breath Away” — the Oscar-winning smash that sent  the hearts of Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis soaring in the 1986 original film — the band was hardly in Gaga’s superstar stratosphere.“We got really lucky because at the time we were nothing,” Terri Nunn, lead singer of Berlin, told The Post. “We had not had a hit at all.

Lady Gaga has shared a dramatic new video for her Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack contribution, ‘Hold My Hand’ – scroll down the page to watch it now.The song was released earlier this week (May 3), marking the star’s first piece of new solo material since 2020’s ‘Chromatica’.The ‘Hold My Hand’ video finds Gaga entering the Top Gun universe, donning aviator shades similar to those sported by Tom Cruise in the original movie, and playing piano on a dusty runway in the middle of a barren landscape.The visuals were directed by Top Gun: Maverick filmmaker Joe Kosinski and feature clips from the upcoming film, as well as scenes from the 1986 original. The video was premiered on MTV, MTV Live, MTVU and on the Paramount Times Square billboards in New York earlier today (May 6).

Lady Gaga fans, rejoice! The «Poker Face» singer has just dropped the music video for her  ballad, «Hold My Hand,» and — grab those tissues because — it's a tearjerker!The 36-year-old singer's music video features scenes from the upcoming film as well as emotional scenes from the original 1986 flick. Gaga, at first, sits under one of the iconic planes featured in the film and pours her heart out as flash scenes show Tom Cruise -- aka Captain Pete «Maverick» Mitchell — reminisces about his late friend, Nick Bradshaw, better known as «Goose.» The music video was directed by the film's director, Joseph Kosinski.The release comes just days after Gaga teased the song on her social media.

Tom Cruise is finally going to see soar into theaters, after years of planning, prepping, shooting and eventual delays. The celebrated movie star says the pressure is something he anticipated and is excited about.Cruise arrived via helicopter to the red carpet premiere of the long-awaited sequel on Wednesday — held on the deck of the USS Midway aircraft carrier in San Diego, California — and spoke with ET's Nischelle Turner about basking in the joy of the experience.«This is quite a moment.

is almost here! The long-awaited sequel hits theaters on May 27, and only ET has an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Tom Cruise's return to the skies as Captain Pete «Maverick» Mitchell.«My whole life, I've wanted to make movies or fly airplanes or go to space,» Cruise says in a new featurette for the upcoming film. «I wanted to jump off buildings, go ride fast motorcycles… My life has just been filled with stories — telling stories, creating characters.»For Cruise returns to his beloved character from the 1986 original. Maverick's spent his time in the intervening years as a test pilot, refusing the Navy's attempts to promote him up the chain of command so he can stay in the air as much as possible.

Lady Gaga is showing her appreciation for fellow actor Tom Cruise, kissing him on the cheek after her Las Vegas show on Sunday night.The acclaimed singer who was expected to make an appearance at the 2022 Met Gala, posted a photo of herself planting a kiss on the Hollywood actor, and included another photo returning the kiss to him.Fans of the artist were surprised as they were not aware that the two stars had such a close friendship, however Gaga explained that she was happy to see the actor attending her Jazz & Piano concert residency, taking place at the Park Theater of the Park MGM.“Thank you for coming to the show last night. I love you my friend,” she wrote in the caption, tagging Cruise on her Instagram post.Gaga just released a new song ‘Hold My Hand’ especially recorded for the highly anticipated film ‘Tom Gun: Maverick’ set to be released in theaters May 27, starring Tom Cruise, which she described as a “love letter to the world” sharing her excitement for the new installment of the popular franchise.It seems the sweet photos were posted just at the right time, after Gaga was trending on social media for missing the Met Gala and her new song being released on the same night.

Lady Gaga has shared her contribution to the upcoming Top Gun sequel. Airheads, which is to say fans of things that fly, have been waiting a long time for Top Gun: Maverick to hit theaters with the sequel not only following the 1986 original, but was also pushed back significantly by the pandemic.

Later this month, audiences will finally get to watch the highly anticipated sequel to Tom Cruise‘s beloved 1980s fighter pilot action pic “Top Gun.” There is already some early buzz on “Top Gun: Maverick” after a screening at CinemaCon 2022 in Las Vegas that seems to indicate that the extended wait, due to multiple release date hiccups, will be worth it. The film is directed by Joseph Kosinski (“Tron Legacy,” “Oblivion“) with longtime Cruise collaborator Christopher McQuarrie (“Jack Reacher,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout“) joining the project to help both produce and work on the script.