It’s hard to imagine the iconic movie Top Gun— helmed by Tony Scott—without the sizzling romance between Maverick and Charlie, played by Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis, respectively. The chemistry between the two characters added depth and emotional resonance to the high-flying action sequences, which the film is famous for.
Nevertheless, it may come as a surprise to learn that the romance between Maverick and Charlie was not originally a focal point of the first movie. In the original versions of Top Gun, the love story between Maverick and Charlie was much more subdued and not as prominently featured as it is in the final cut that audiences saw.
According to a 2022 interview with Chris Lebenzon and Billy Weber in The Hollywood Reporter, exhibitors who had seen early screenings of the film expressed a desire for more emphasis on the romance between the two characters.
The Love Story in the First Top Gun Flick Had to Be Changed?
When Tony Scott’s Top Gun soared onto the silver screen in 1986, little did we know that we’d be witnessing the creation of an action-packed cultural phenomenon adorned with some of the most stirring scenes in cinematic history. But did you know that the heart-racing romance between Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Charlie (Kelly McGillis) had its destiny reshaped by an insightful group of exhibitors?
The love story gained attention only after its initial screening, when audiences craved more. Chris Lebenzon and Billy Weber, in a 2022 chat with The Hollywood Reporter, unveiled how the “Chicago” exhibitors’ feedback precipitated the addition of passionate scenes:
It was the exhibitors that wanted to extend the love story. We were basically done with the movie, and they had a screening in New York for exhibitors that went very well and a screening on the West Coast for exhibitors that went very well. And they did one in Chicago that didn’t do very well. And the Chicago exhibitors came out saying, ‘We wish there was more of a love story. Boom. We shot those two scenes.
This feedback led the filmmakers to shoot two additional scenes to deepen the relationship between Maverick and Charlie. Cruise was already filming another movie, Color of Money, at the time these additional scenes were shot, which presented a challenge for continuity.
Lebenzon revealed that the actor had a different haircut for the other film, so he had to be “wet” in the new Top Gun scenes to maintain consistency.:
He had to be wet [because his haircut was different]. And Kelly had black hair, so we put a cap on her. She looks kind of out of place. I mean, she’s wearing a hat in one scene in the whole movie.
Additionally, McGillis had black hair at the time, so she wore a “cap” to match her appearance in the rest of the movie.
Top Gun’s Volleyball Scene That Almost Led to the Director’s Termination
When people think of Top Gun, one scene often comes to mind: the famous beach volleyball game between Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer’s characters. The scene, set to the tune of Kenny Loggins’ Playing With The Boys, is not only striking for its shirtless hunkiness but also for the way it almost got director Tony Scott fired.
Yes, did you know that the sun-soaked volleyball match was nearly a dealbreaker for director Tony Scott? As Top Gun editors, Chris Lebenzon and Billy Weber revealed in the same THR, the studio was not content with Scott’s decision to film the volleyball scene more like a commercial than a real match. Lebenzon confessed:
That scene was scripted as a real game. Remember they kept score and everything, and Tony shot it like a commercial and they were angry.
Meanwhile, Weber added:
The head of production, Charlie McGuire, he said, ‘I’m gonna fire him,’ meaning Tony, because he spent a whole day shooting this scene. And then of course it turns out it’s one of the most famous scenes in the movie.
Despite the studio’s initial anger, the scene ultimately became one of the most famous moments in the film.
Anyway, the decision to enhance the love story between Maverick and Charlie proved to be a wise one, as it added an emotional anchor to the film. Set to the song Take My Breath Away, this scene is now one of the standout moments in the film that audiences still remember fondly!
Top Gun is streaming on Paramount Plus.
