The late Tony Scott, Ridley’s brother, directed 1986’s “Top Gun” with a kind the slick ‘80s energy that director Joseph Kosinski faithfully emulated in 2022’s wildly successful “Top Gun: Maverick.”
However, despite the hoards of fans that movie might have, not to mention a $1.6 billion box-office, according to director “Alien: Romulus” director Fede Álvarez, Ridley Scott was left rather unimpressed by the Tom Cruise sequel:
I asked him about the new ‘Top Gun’, and he’s like ‘meh.’ I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ And he was like, ‘My brother’s was original and this is like eh.’ He really respected it, but you could see how tough he was. So I was like, ‘There’s no way I win this one.'
I’m not sure if I’d call 1986’s “Top Gun” an “original” statement on the part of Tony Scott. It very much resembled some of the other ultra-cheese action films that were being released that decade.
Kosinski’s sequel, more or less, followed the same blueprint as the first film and that’s what seems to have irked Ridley — it didn’t really intend to steer away from the formula that made “Top Gun” such a huge success in the ‘80s.
Last year, Ridley had sung a different tune, at least, according to ‘Maverick’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced both Top Gun films. Bruckheimer recalled screening the film for Ridley, and getting a great reaction out of him:
One of the most heartwarming things I experienced is when we showed the movie to Tony’s brother, Ridley. He was laudatory in his praise for the film, and the kind of care that Tom took to honour Tony throughout the movie. That was foremost in everybody’s mind.
Ridley was maybe just giving a polite response, or Bruckheimer was lying. Regardless, at least Timothee Chalamet is a ‘Maverick’ superfan.
Still no distributor for "Bucking Fastard," "Alpha Gang," "The Last Photograph," "Closing Night," and "The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd." The issue seems to be quality more than a lack of willingness to buy.