TheTop Gunsequel,Top Gun: Maverick, is a big deal. The 1986 original is an Academy Award winning film and also an iconic piece of pop culture. A sequel has been in the works for quite some time now, withnews breaking back in 2010thatChristopher McQuarriewas working on a script that incorporatedTom Cruise’s Maverick.
The project did hit some bumps in the road along the way — starting and stopping, different writers getting involved — but ultimately,Joseph Kosinskiscored the directing gig, McQuarrie remained aboard as a writer and Cruise returned as the film’s headliner.Top Gun: Maverickwill also see the return ofVal Kilmer’s Iceman and incorporate new additionsMiles Teller,Jon Hamm,Glenn Powell,Lewis PullmanandJennifer Connelly.
At one point,it was announcedthatThomasin McKenziewould also be joining the ensemble to play Connelly’s daughter. Connelly’s character is said to be “a single mother who runs a local bar near the Navy base.” At the time of that casting announcement, McKenzie was riding high from the release of the phenomenal filmLeave No Trace, a performance that undoubtedly made her one of the biggest rising stars out there. Booking a hot franchise title likeTop Gun: Maverickis a pretty big deal for someone in such a position, but ultimately, it came to light that McKenzie chose to exit the project for another opportunity.
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While retracting her steps in the industry thus far on an episode ofCollider Ladies Night, McKenzie took a moment to shed some light on the decision and how instrumental her team was when making it. Here’s what she said:
“I think I really listen to my team because they’ve been in the industry for a lot longer than I have and so they have a lot more experience than I do. Also it just comes down to instincts. I was very lucky to have the option to do something else. I did Lost Girls instead. I was so honored to have been considered to be a part of Top Gun. That’s bloody amazing! It’s really, really cool. But I think Lost Girls was a story that I was really interested in telling that was a female director, basically the entire cast was female so I really wanted to be a part of that.”
While I’ve got mighty high hopes forTop Gun: Maverickwhen it finally arrives in May 2022 after a handful of pandemic-related delays, one can certainly see why this was the best path for McKenzie to pursue. Not only did she get the opportunity to work with directorLiz Garbusand star oppositeAmy RyaninLost Girls, but McKenzie’s career continues to flourish. After the release ofLost Girls, McKenzie starred inM. Night Shyamalan’sOld, has a potential Oscar contender coming up withJane Campion’sThe Power of the Dog, and also gives a show stopping performance inEdgar Wright’sLast Night in Soho, which just wrapped its first weekend of release.
If you’re looking for even more McKenzie in the future, be sure to keep an eye out for her new series,Life After Lifedirected byJohn Crowley, and also theKerri Strugbiopic,Perfect, which is set to be directed byOlivia Wilde. And if you want even more McKenzie right this very second, be sure to catch our uncut Collider Ladies Night conversation in podcast form below:
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