On This Day

Top Gun released

May 16th 1986

14:36 16 May 2024

Tony Scott's 'Top Gun' opened in 1,028 theaters across North America on this day in 1986. Tom Cruise stars as Lieutenant Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a young naval aviator undergoing training at the Naval Fighter Weapons School: TOPGUN.

The movie opened to mixed reviews but received praise for its action sequences and aerial stunts as well as the performances from Cruise and Kelly McGillis.

'Top Gun' was an instant hit at the box office and four weeks after its initial release, the number of theaters showing it increased by 45 percent. Cruise reprised his role for a long-anticipated sequel: 'Top Gun: Maverick' (2022) which went on to become the most successful film of his career.