Production for "Top Gun 2" began over the summer but for the next two weeks, the cast led by Tom Cruise will be in Lake Tahoe to film some crucial action scenes. At one point, drone cameras following the production spotted the famous Hollywood star running in the forest in his flight suit as Maverick the fighter pilot.
According to TMZ, Cruise was also seen filming with the crew on top of the mountains south of Lake Tahoe. Observers said that there had been a lot of military aircraft on the set, while some of the action sequences Cruise was working on looked more intense than the scenes previously shot in San Diego and Nevada.
Paramount has been secretive about the plot to the sequel, which will officially be called "Top Gun: Maverick." But the movie will reunite Cruise with Val Kilmer, who has also agreed to reprise his role as the fighter pilot Iceman. Joining the original stars are Miles Teller, who will play the young fighter pilot that Maverick mentors and leading lady Jennifer Connelly, as well as Jon Hamm, Ed Harris and Glen Powell.
The original "Top Gun" film came out in 1986. Cruise was then an up-and-coming star who will just making his mark in Hollywood. His character, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, was a student at the US Navy Fighter Weapons School in San Diego, while Kilmer's Iceman was his biggest rival in the campus.
But missing from "Top Gun: Maverick" is Anthony Edwards, who played Nick "Goose" Bradshaw in the original movie. Unfortunately, the character died in the first film, but the sequel will feature his son (Teller).
Meanwhile, to make his portrayal and stunts are more realistic as a prolific and experienced fighter pilot this time around, Cruise took a break from filming "Top Gun: Maverick" to learn how to fly a fighter plane, as per the Daily Mail. The actor is a licensed pilot, but he has yet to learn how to man an actual military jet.
Cruise isn't expected to film all of his action scenes as there will be stunts people on the set. However, this shows the level of commitment the blockbuster star gives to his work despite the risks to his health or his life.
Joseph Kosinski is directing "Top Gun: Maverick." The movie is set for a June 2020 release in the U.S.
