Top Gun 2: Maverick — Tom Cruise Spotted Filming in San Diego

Not only has a street in Miramar — the naval base area in San Diego — been re-named “Top Gun Street” (I’ve seen it myself and hope to get you a photo soon), but sightings are being reported all over the city with Tom Cruise himself popping up. He’s been seen riding a motorcycle on our freeways. There’s a photo circulating online, with Cruise facing into the California sunset, iconic “Maverick” helmet in hand. Local bars are even starting to offer Top Gun based drink specials to San Diego patrons. Expect more jukeboxes to play the original Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” and karaoke nights picking up the song, as we get closer to the film release date that’s been pushed back to 2020.

Also to reprise their roles: Val Kilmer as Iceman, Goose’s (grown up) son, and probably a few surprise cameos. Release details are still kept mostly under wraps. Here’s what’s known now.

This is nice for us San Diego peeps, revitalizing the Miramar area economy. [pullquote]People  are getting revved up for the long-awaited sequel to Cruise’s seminal naval pilot story from almost 30 years ago. [/pullquote](Yikes, from 1986! The year I graduated high school…old much?)

At the denouement of the classic Top Gun film, Maverick didn’t win the hot-shot top spot, but his skill, valor, and stick-to-it-ness, plus a hard-won more-mature attitude, won him a coveted field instructor promotion at the elite naval air academy —  where the “best of the best” flyboys get an annual shot in training to become the number one dogfighting pilot in the nation. Expect the story to pick up with Cruise’s character teaching new, young idiots “living dangerously” in crazy dog fights against today’s bogies.

Maybe some females, like Battlestar Galactica‘s Starbuck (from the modern Ron Moore remake) will even be up for the top spots these days. Why not? I’d bet on this.

Excited yet? With the new A+ Mission Impossible: Fallen movie proving that Cruise is STILL the box office man to beat, expect the Top Gun sequel to excite, amuse, and maybe kick-start a new breed of younguns to strive for greatness.

Get that need for speed rewatching the amusing bar bet scene, including “That Lovin’ Feeling,” sung by Mav, Goose, and seemingly the entire flight school. 

Here’s the Top Gun Anthem tune, opening the iconic film:

Lastly, enjoy some “top” moments from the 1986 Top Gun:

I used the music from “The Top Gun Anthem,” plus “Highway to the Danger Zone” on the GoPro video documenting my own insanely fun plane jump in San Diego, to celebrate turning 50. I’m even inspired to write that up for you (link to follow soon). If you get the chance to jump from a plane and fly, DO IT! Nothing else is scary in life after you somersault out of a plane on purpose. Did it rock? In a word, YES. Would I do a HALO jump?…yeah, I would.

Damn, I forgot how great the entire soundtrack is from Top Gun. Sit back, play it, and let the memories wash over you. If you’re a Millennial, catch the 80s film right now. It really holds up. And Goose is one of the greatest characters ever. I will say no more.

Related on RunPee.com:

Mission Impossible: Fallout — Movie Review

Tom Cruise Does His Own Stratospheric, Low Opening Jumps for MI: Fallout

Tom Cruise Breaks Ankle Filming Mission Impossible, Keeps Filming