Top Gun Is Coming Back To Theaters For Its 35th Anniversary

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Tom Cruise's action genre classic Top Gun is soaring back to theaters on May 13 to celebrate its 35th anniversary on what is known by fans as Top Gun Day. First released in 1986, the film centered on Cruise's fighter pilot Maverick as he and his partner Goose are offered the opportunity to train at the Navy Fighter Weapons School in San Diego, California. The blockbuster was directed by Tony Scott, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, and featured an ensemble cast including Cruise, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, Kelly McGillis, and Tom Skerritt.

Though initially receiving mixed reviews from critics upon its release, Top Gun has gone on to be a favorite among genre fans and filmmakers and is generally considered one of Cruise's best works. Top Gun grossed over $356 million at the box office on its $15 million budget and earned an Oscar for Best Original Song for Berlin's "Take My Breath Away." The film has been the subject of many parodies and homages in culture in the years since its release, the most notable being the Charlie Sheen-led spoof Hot Shots in 1991. After a decade of attempting to get a sequel off the ground, Cruise was able to step back into the cockpit for the forthcoming Top Gun: Maverick, which saw him bring his desire for real stunts to the project as he conducted a number of the flight sequences himself. Following numerous delays due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the blockbuster follow-up is set to hit theaters on November 19 followed by a streaming release on Paramount+ 45 days later.

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Having previously been re-released in theaters in 2013 for a six-day theatrical run in IMAX 3D, Top Gun will be returning to AMC Theaters on May 13 in the chain's Dolby Cinema auditoriums and presented in Dolby Vision. According to Collider, The new release will also feature Dolby Atmos audio to really get viewers close to the flybys and iconic soundtrack. In addition to the theatrical release, the film recently hit shelves on 4K Ultra HD for the first time with new special features to celebrate the film's 35-year legacy.

In a time in which theaters are trying to bounce back with more reopening every day, bringing back a fan favorite is a smart decision for both the studios and the theater chains, namely AMC, which suffered a lot of financial hardship due to the pandemic. While an IMAX re-release certainly made for an interesting attempt at bringing 3D technology to the film, the reality is a crisp visual remaster and auditory update for the 1986 pic will certainly be more effective in delivering a thrilling experience for longtime fans of the film. Plus, with Cruise's Maverick returning for the sequel later this year, now's as good a time as any to revisit his original outing or introduce newcomers to why he feels a need for speed.

But for those still concerned about going out to venues such as theaters, the latest home media release is a good second choice for viewers who want to kick back on the couch and crank their volumes high for the epic dogfight sequences and rousing music. Paramount might be looking to capitalize on audiences looking for new or exciting films at the theaters to draw them back, but even if they're not looking to break any box office records, it's certainly a nice treat for fans to honor the legacy of Top Gun by re-releasing it with this crisp Dolby remaster. Fans can now only hope that Top Gun: Maverick can live up to the 35-year legacy of its predecessor when it hits theaters in November.