Editing Top Gun (section)

=== Development ===
The primary inspiration for the film was the article "Top Guns" by Ehud Yonay, from the May 1983 issue of ''[[California (magazine)|California]]'' magazine, which featured aerial photography by then-Lieutenant Commander Charles "Heater" Heatley.<ref name="Top Gun Movie -The 80s Rewind">{{cite web|url=http://www.fast-rewind.com/topgun.htm|title=Top Gun|work=fast-rewind.com|access-date=December 5, 2006|archive-date=April 9, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190409095049/http://www.fast-rewind.com/topgun.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mensjournal.com/entertainment/top-gun-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-iconic-action-film | title='Top Gun': Behind-the-Scenes Facts About the Making of the Iconic Action Film | date=December 16, 2019}}</ref> The article detailed the life of fighter pilots at [[Marine Corps Air Station Miramar|Naval Air Station Miramar]] in [[San Diego]], self-nicknamed "Fightertown USA".<ref name="Top Guns - California Magazine">{{cite magazine |last=Yonay |first=Ehud |date=May 1983 |title=Top Guns |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_california_1983-05_8_5/page/94/mode/2up |magazine=California Magazine |location=Beverly Hills, CA |publisher=California Magazine, Inc. |page=94 |access-date=2022-06-08}}</ref> Numerous screenwriters allegedly turned down the project.<ref name="Top Gun Movie -The 80s Rewind" /> Bruckheimer and Simpson went on to hire Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., to write the first draft. The research methods, by Epps, included attendance at several declassified Top Gun classes at Miramar and gaining experience by being flown in an F-14. The first draft failed to impress Bruckheimer and Simpson, and is considered to be very different from the final product in numerous ways.<ref>Special Edition DVD, Interview with Jack Epps</ref> [[David Cronenberg]] and [[John Carpenter]] were approached to direct the film, but both declined.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Keslassy |first=Elsa |date=2022-05-16 |title=David Cronenberg Breaks Down Cannes Walkouts, His New Film's Sexuality, and Why Netflix Turns Him Down |url=https://variety.com/2022/film/news/david-cronenberg-cannes-interview-crimes-of-the-future-walkouts-netflix-1235267464/ |access-date= |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lloyd |first=Brian |date=2016-03-15 |title=In Conversation With... John Carpenter |url=https://entertainment.ie/movies/movie-news/in-conversation-with-john-carpenter-235597/ |access-date= |website=[[Entertainment.ie]] |language=en}}</ref> Tony Scott was hired to direct on the strength of a commercial he had done for Swedish automaker [[Saab Automobile|Saab]] in the early 1980s, where a [[Saab 900]] turbo is shown racing a [[Saab 37 Viggen]] fighter jet.<ref>{{cite news |last=Delaney |first=Sam |date=12 June 2015 |title=Jets, jeans and Hovis |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/aug/24/1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226123953/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2007/aug/24/1 |archive-date=December 26, 2019}}</ref>

Actor [[Matthew Modine]] turned down the role of Pete Mitchell because he felt the film's pro-military stance went against his politics and he chose to do ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]'' instead.<ref>Nolasco, Stephanie. [https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/full-metal-jacket-star-matthew-modine-stranger-things "'Full Metal Jacket' star Matthew Modine explains why he turned down 'Top Gun,' 'Back to the Future': The actor has said no plenty of times — with good reason,"] ''Fox News'' (July 7, 2020).</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/encounter/57174/|title=154 Minutes With Matthew Modine|date=June 15–22, 2009|last=Murphy|first=Tim|magazine=New York magazine|access-date=February 19, 2020|archive-date=January 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200105233139/http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/encounter/57174/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.salon.com/2020/08/07/matthew-modine-full-metal-jacket-top-gun-white-privilege/ | title=Matthew Modine on America's love affair with guns & what people get wrong about "Full Metal Jacket" | date=August 7, 2020}}</ref> The producers wanted Tom Cruise for the role after seeing him in ''[[Risky Business]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://variety.com/2021/film/news/top-gun-tom-cruise-anniversary-jerry-bruckheimer-1234973603/ | title='Top Gun' Turns 35: Producer Jerry Bruckheimer on Convincing Tom Cruise to Play Maverick | date=May 16, 2021}}</ref> Cruise was offered the part while he was in [[London]] filming ''[[Legend (1985 film)|Legend]]''; he was reluctant to take the part but Tony's brother [[Ridley Scott]] convinced him to take it.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/article/2016/05/10/top-gun-30th-anniversary-tom-cruise-maverick/ | title=Tom Cruise reflects on landing his 'Top Gun' role as Maverick — exclusive clip | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] }}</ref> Cruise liked the script and convinced the producers to rewrite it before starring in the film.<ref>https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/tom-cruise-winging-it-2-190433/</ref> For the role of Maverick, before Tom Cruise, [[Emilio Estevez]], [[Patrick Swayze]], [[Sean Penn]], [[Rob Lowe]], [[Charlie Sheen]], [[Michael J. Fox]] and [[Ralph Macchio]] were considered, while [[Brooke Shields]], [[Demi Moore]] and [[Julianne Phillips]] were the possible candidates for Charlie. Phillips had been scheduled to perform a screen test opposite Tom Cruise.

<!-- IRRELEVANT AND NEEDS BETTER SOURCE The character of Chipper Piper was created just for Pasdar as Scott loved his performance.<ref>Rys, Richard. [https://www.phillymag.com/news/2007/06/19/exit-interview-adrian-pasdar/Exit Interview: Adrian Pasdar] Phillymag.com (June 19, 2007).</ref>{{Better source needed}} -->Val Kilmer was reluctant to play Kazansky as he found the script "silly" and disliked warmongering in films, but took the role as he was under contractual obligations with the studio and Scott's enthusiasm on the project.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2021-07-23 |title=What we learned from Val Kilmer's documentary 'Val' |url=https://nypost.com/2021/07/23/what-we-learned-from-val-kilmers-documentary-val/ |access-date=2023-06-13 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>https://ew.com/movies/val-kilmer-tom-cruise-top-gun-maverick/</ref> Kilmer's role however, turned out to be one of his best performances upon release.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://people.com/movies/val-kilmer-wasnt-interested-top-gun-originally/|title=Val Kilmer Reveals He Didn't Want to Be in 'Top Gun' Originally: 'The Story Didn't Interest Me'|first=Eric|last=Todisco|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]|date=April 21, 2020|accessdate=January 3, 2025}}</ref>

The producers wanted the assistance of the U.S. Navy in the production of the film. The Navy was influential in relation to script approval, which resulted in changes being made.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Jr |first=Jacob V. Lamar |date=1986-11-24 |title=The Pentagon Goes Hollywood |language=en-US |magazine=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,962933-1,00.html |access-date=2023-03-18 |issn=0040-781X}}</ref> The opening dogfight was moved to international waters as opposed to [[Cuba]], the language was toned down, and a scene that involved a crash on the deck of an aircraft carrier was also scrapped.<ref>Special Edition DVD, Interview with the producers</ref> Maverick's love interest was also changed from a female enlisted member of the Navy to a civilian contractor with the Navy, due to the U.S. military's prohibition of fraternization between officers and enlisted personnel.<ref name="Top Gun Movie -The 80s Rewind" /> The "Charlie" character also replaced an aerobics instructor from an early draft as a love interest for Maverick after producers were introduced to [[Christine Fox|Christine "Legs" Fox]], a civilian mathematician employed by the [[Center for Naval Analyses]] as a specialist in Maritime Air Superiority (MAS), developing tactics for aircraft carrier defense.<ref name=Richman1985/>