Since its premiere in late May, Top Gun: Maverick has been a smashing success for Paramount. An insatiable quest for speed, tearing up the charts at the box office and breaking records as it goes. Seriously, who would not want to be a part of that? Lewis Hamilton, the Formula One World Champion, although grudgingly. Given his line of work, Hamilton is not immune to the need to move quickly. The British race car driver, who has won many Formula One titles, recently admitted that he had turned down a part as a fighter pilot in the blockbuster Paramount film directed by Joseph Kosinski.
Hamilton told Vanity Fair that he was a fan of the first Top Gun and was excited to participate in the sequel. Because Tom Cruise, who plays Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the film, is a friend of Hamilton’s, the latter approached Cruise about appearing in the movie. Therefore, he says, “when I heard the second one was coming out, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I have to ask him [Cruise]. What I actually said was, “I don’t care what position it is. I’ll even offer to do some sweeping and cleaning behind the scenes if necessary.
Actually, Cruise outdid himself by casting him not as a janitor but as a fighter pilot. Unfortunately for Hamilton and F1 fans everywhere, the filming date for Maverick conflicted with the championship race. Hamilton said it was “the most heartbreaking call that I believe I’ve ever had” to talk with director Kosinski and star Cruise. The driver will still get his big screen time, though, as he will be collaborating with Kosinski on an upcoming F1 film that will be released on Apple. Kosinski is set to co-direct an upcoming film starring Brad Pitt as a driver who comes out of retirement to battle against a rookie racer and the sport’s titans.
Hamilton has brought Pitt around the creative centres that will develop Mercedes’ vehicle for this year’s F1 season, and he has also been checking out the screenplay for the film. Top Gun: Maverick maintained its supersonic charge and roar at the box office, reaching $1.35 billion over the weekend despite being missing the addition of Hamilton to its crew of fighter pilots. After soaring beyond Black Panther, the picture has set its sights on Avengers: Age of Ultron in its pursuit of box office greatness. Cast with Cruise is Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Ed Harris, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Monica Barbaro, Manny Jacinto, and Val Kilmer.
Top Gun: Maverick will have a fan appreciation weekend while it is still in cinemas.