Top Gun Movie Facts: 9 Things You Need to Know

The movie Top Gun was based on an actual flight school called the US Navy Fighter Weapons School.

[{"selector":"#anim-c208a8f3-ce3d-46c4-8ef8-1cb56f50e4c8 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.514648210040342%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Top Gun is one of the most era-defining movies of the 1980s. The film captured the imagination of adrenaline junkies across the globe.

[{"selector":"#anim-90837462-ca73-4589-afdc-167009a7c135 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.514648210040342%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Saturday Night Fever icon John Travolta was initially approached to play the central role of “Maverick.”

[{"selector":"#anim-1108a247-6ea9-4dac-a0d4-a692a7d5f971 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.514648210040342%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

The first name on the list after Travolta was Tom Cruise, but he didn't want to appear in the movie either.

[{"selector":"#anim-2787f394-90a4-4f73-b281-07d23b3ab574 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.514648210040342%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

The Navy used film as a recruiting tool.

[{"selector":"#anim-7e1cd2a8-e8f2-4897-8564-5a5710245767 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.514648210040342%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

The US government helped finance the film.

[{"selector":"#anim-4b1e791a-d52b-4c4a-bba8-735f40a9cef9 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.514648210040342%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Top Gun became a ride in two amusement parks.

[{"selector":"#anim-1780ec8d-3b9a-4f12-becf-a5d2b8559e1f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.514648210040342%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Tom Cruise is believed to have invented the idea of international film premieres.

[{"selector":"#anim-2073b8dd-c24b-4f11-8eb2-8657e9dd5c65 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.514648210040342%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

The film's soundtrack sold nine million copies.

[{"selector":"#anim-21f1f33f-efdc-4b81-9183-7329f881be55 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.514648210040342%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Get motivational quotes and guides.

[{"selector":"#anim-f73ad6a4-6822-42e8-ad60-fbe279604e23 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(12.514648210040342%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more