Not many films get a sequel nearly four decades after the original.

The basics

Talk of a Top Gun sequel has been zooming aroundsince 2010.

Maverick was one of Tom Cruise’s iconic action-star roles, gleaming teeth and all.

And Maverick has his own issues, just like in the first film.

Yet here you are, captain.

Why is that?"

Tony Scott and Bruckheimer were both onboard with the new film, but Scott died by suicide in 2012.

Bruckheimer is still a producer on the sequel, as is Cruise.

Joseph Kosinski, who directed Tron: Legacy, is directing the sequel.

Cruise shared an image from the first day of filming on May 31, 2018.

#Day1pic.twitter.com/7jjPL277Es

Cast: Who’s who?

McGillis, 62,told Entertainment Tonightwhy she thinks that’s the case.

Fandango’s Erik Davis called the film, “absolutely terrific in every conceivable way.

The action & flying is crazy intense & continually changes & evolves.

You’re on the edge of your seat.

I was not prepared for how emotional it was, too.

The crowd cheered a dozen times.

It’s real deal.”

One word: Wow!#TopGunMaverickis absolutely terrific in every conceivable way.

The action & flying is crazy intense & continually changes & evolves.

Youre on the edge of your seat.

I was not prepared for how emotional it was, too.

The crowd cheered a dozen times.

But that’s not the only big song.

“I’ve been working on it for years, perfecting it, trying to make it ours.

“The concept is, basically, are the pilots obsolete because of drones,” he said then.

“Cruise is going to show them that they’re not obsolete.

They’re here to stay.”

Hamming it up

Co-star Jon Hamm says the action sequences will be impressive.

“They’re using some technology on this that is never before seen,“Hamm told Jo Blo.

“We’re shooting the movie in, I think, 6K.

So it’s incredibly hi-def.

The aerial footage is mind-blowing.

And it’s mostly practical.

There’s not a lot of CG.

Those guys are really up in planes and getting thrown around in multiple Gs.”

Flashback

Hammalso told Jo Blothat the sequel sets are very close to the original.

“It’s basically getting the whole team back together,” he said.

“They’ve achieved a very similar vibe to the first one.”

“Everything you see in this film is for real,” he said.

In plane sight

Popular Science Magazinepublished an entire article about the aircraft of the new film.

Those were F-14 Tomcats, big, beloved, tough, fast airplanes the Navy no longer flies.”