Tom Cruise puts all his chips on movie theaters, or at least for now, as Paramount refuses to sell Top Gun: Maverick to any streaming services due to its box office potential. It reminds us of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet dilemma. It all depends on the battle between COVID and the vaccine. Hopefully, we’ll explore this action-packed IMAX masterpiece on the huge canvas in summer. Read on.
Top Gun: Maverick has been pushed from July 2019 to July 2021
The original release date of the movie was July 12, 2019. It would have released one week after Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019), and one week before The Lion King (2019). According to IMDB, on Wednesday, August 29, 2018, around a month or two into filming, its release date was pushed back to June 26, 2020, removing one of 2019’s most anticipated movies. Then on April 2nd, 2020 Paramount announced it would postpone the film by six months due to the Covid19 pandemic to December 23rd, 2020. Recently it has been pushed again to July 2021. It all depends on the battle between COVID and the vaccine. Now, after analyzing the situation, offers from streaming services are starting to fall on the table.
Paramount says NO to streaming services
According to a new report from the WSJ, streaming services like Netflix and Apple TV+ were curious to see if Paramount would be willing to sell Top Gun: Maverick. However, sources say the studio wouldn’t even consider it because of the strong box office earnings Maverick is expected to bring in. Indeed, when examining the results of other blockbusters like Tenet and WW84, the decision to wait might be smart. For instance, WW84 can’t be defined as a great success regarding the streaming option. I mean, this film was shot on IMAX and film cameras and was planned and designed to be screened on the huge canvas and not less.
Respect moviegoers and heal theaters
The resolution of turning down streaming services is the right thing to do. There’s still plenty of time till July, so there’s a significant chance that theaters will be reopened. Technically speaking, Top Gun: Maverick was shot for the IMAX experience. In fact, this is the first release (together with Dune) certified as “Filmed in IMAX” which is IMAX’s new program with the goal of setting the required standards together with the world’s leading camera manufacturers to meet filmmaker demand for The IMAX Experience® (read more: IMAX Launches “Filmed In IMAX” Program – Welcomes ARRI, RED, Panavision, and Sony). Top Gun: Maverick production has assembled a specialized camera system of six Sony VENICE 6K cinema cameras inside a fighter-jet cockpit to enhance and boost the big screen experience (read more: Top Gun: Maverick – Six Sony VENICE Cameras Inside a Fighter-Jet Cockpit).
The Sony Venice cameras were specially adapted for the film order to shoot the cockpit sequences, with the sensor able to detach from the body, connected by a fiber optic cable. This allowed the cameras to fit in the tight spaces required, with the body able placed in the jet’s mechanics. Now you understand why the screaming option will be a poor solution for this film.
Final thoughts
Personally, I don’t care about waiting 2 years more, to watch it properly at a theater, where it belongs. The decision to say “NO” to streaming services is the right thing to do and will help saving theaters and allow them to get back to business when the COVID saga is over. Think differently? Comment below.
