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Tom cruise returns to the danger zone in 'top gun: maverick'.

Bob Mondello

Three Decades after the original Top Gun , Tom Cruise returns to lead a fresh squadron of Navy fighter pilots in Top Gun: Maverick.

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‘Top Gun: Maverick’ will feature ‘Danger Zone,’ Kenny Loggins confirms

Cruise into the Danger Zone... the anthem for 1986’s ‘Top Gun’ is back for the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack.

Get ready to fly back into the danger zone, as the Keny Loggins classic song “Danger Zone” is officially confirmed to be part of the long-awaited Tom Cruise Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick . The song by Loggins is one of the most recognizable features of the classic ‘80s movie, so fans are sure to be happy to hear that it will once again play as a de facto theme song for Maverick as he soars through the air.

Loggins confirmed the exciting news when he recently was on Rob Lowe’s podcast, Literally with Rob Lowe . Lowe asked Loggins if he was involved in Top Gun: Maverick , to which the Grammy-winning musician said he was “finally” able to say that “Danger Zone” would play in the sequel. Though apparently, he has known for a while.

Loggins told Lowe that a few years ago when he and Tom Cruise were both on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (surprisingly the only time the two have ever met, per Loggins) he asked Cruise straight up: “So, yes or no? Is ‘Danger Zone’ in the new movie?” To which he said Cruise replied, “We can’t do Top Gun without ‘Danger Zone.’”

In case you need a quick refresher, Top Gun starred Tom Cruise as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, a hotshot Navy pilot who attends the best flight combat training school, known as Top Gun. Featuring multiple aerial sequences, “Danger Zone” was played during a number of these. Check it out in the music video below.

Top Gun was nominated for four Oscars when it was released, including one win for Best Original Song. However, “Danger Zone” was not the recipient of that award. Instead, it was the love song “Take My Breath Away”, by Berlin, that took the trophy. All due respect to “Take My Breath Away,” a memorable song in its own right, but “Danger Zone” has stood the test of time in the culture, including being part of a long-running joke on the hit animated series Archer .

“Danger Zone” won’t be the only bit of nostalgia in Top Gun: Maverick . In addition to Tom Cruise reprising his leading role, Val Kilmer is slated to return as Maverick’s frenemy Iceman. New cast member Miles Teller’s character also has a connection to the past, as he plays Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, the son of Maverick’s copilot Goose.

Here is the synopsis of Top Gun: Maverick :

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“After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.”

Top Gun: Maverick , after a couple of pandemic-related delays, is scheduled for take-off only in movie theaters on May 27. And we can't wait.

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca , Moulin Rouge! , Silence of the Lambs , Children of Men , One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars . On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd .

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Kenny Loggins rides into the ‘Danger Zone’ once more (and he can still hit those high notes)

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Kenny Loggins had already established himself as a pop star — first as half of the rootsy Loggins & Messina, then as a yacht-rocking solo act — by the time he became the unofficial king of the movie soundtrack in the early 1980s. There was “ I’m Alright ,” from “Caddyshack.” There was the title track from “ Footloose .” And of course there was 1986’s “Danger Zone,” the fighter-jet-inspired anthem from “Top Gun” that hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped propel the film’s soundtrack to sales of more than 9 million copies.

This week “Danger Zone,” which was composed and produced by disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder with lyricist Tom Whitlock, returns to the big screen as part of “ Top Gun: Maverick ,” the long-delayed sequel starring Tom Cruise in an older version of one of his most iconic roles. For Loggins, 74, the movie comes as he’s preparing to release a memoir, “Still Alright,” and reunite with Jim Messina for two gigs at the Hollywood Bowl on July 15 and 16. He called the other day to remember revving up his engine and listening to her howling roar.

Were you up on Giorgio Moroder’s music before you did “Danger Zone” together? No. He was a really strong writer — a force in that era — but I didn’t know it until we got into “Top Gun.” In my world, Giorgio was well known only in that he used the Yamaha DX7 right out of the box. This was one of the first super-popular synthesizers in pop music, and all the sounds he used were stock sounds that came with it. We were all trying to create custom sounds, something unique, and he just plugged it in and made a s—load of hit records.

What does that say about him from a musician’s perspective? That I was taking too long and spending too much money.

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It’s well known at this point that a number of other singers were in line to do “Danger Zone” before you. Kevin [Cronin of REO Speedwagon] told me he passed because the high notes were too high for his voice. I was lucky that I could still hit those notes back then. I have a feeling that Mickey Thomas from Starship was probably the first choice. He just had that sort of white R&B/rock voice — and all the high notes in the world. But I think the lawyers couldn’t come to terms on it, and that’s why it went up for grabs.

Can you hit the high notes now? I can hit them now. I’ve been studying with a vocal coach for over a year to make sure I’m singing in a way that doesn’t tear my voice up. I had to relearn how to sing in a bel canto form that gets the sound off the vocal cords and up above it. As you get older, your vocal cords get drier. Things atrophy. By 2020 I couldn’t even hit the high note in “ Danny’s Song .”

You write in your book that you were emulating Tina Turner when you recorded “Danger Zone.” What grabbed you about her singing? She had adopted a rock attitude that was so aggressive — the tone and where she was singing in her throat. And her pronunciation of words. I think you can hear it mostly with the way I say “danger zone” — that’s the way Tina would’ve pronounced it. One of the things that movie songs gave me the freedom to do was to be whoever I wanted to be, because it wasn’t really a Kenny Loggins thing. It was a movie thing. And if the movie flopped, no one would ever hear it. So just go for it. See where you can take it.

Was this one of those sessions where you do 50 takes of the vocal? Much quicker than that. Giorgio had to dub the song into the movie within 24 hours, so there was an urgency to getting in the studio. We were in there to get this sucker done.

You’re pretty generous in the book about not being credited as a writer on “Danger Zone,” even though you made significant contributions to the song. You write that Moroder and Whitlock didn’t cut you in because of a rule regarding Oscars eligibility. I couldn’t argue with that. Plus, it wasn’t my baby. I didn’t bring the idea into the room. It was Giorgio’s idea, and I was f—ing with [his song]. And he let me because he respected me. He could have gone, “No, no, no, the song is what it is.” But to my ear, it needed help. Not a lot, just some tweaking to make it a little more interesting in a chordal sense. And to have that bridge go somewhere. The middle eight bars should do something that relieves the tension — gives the listener a break for a minute and then takes you right back in. That’s what I added to the tune.

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Somebody else might’ve threatened to sue. I’m not a litigious person. I tend to want to avoid that s— whenever you can. It can be the door to the abyss.

It’s kind of funny that the music for “Top Gun,” this most indelibly American of movies, was spearheaded by an Italian guy in Moroder and a German guy in Harold Faltermeyer, who scored the film. I’ve never thought about that before. Tom really … utilizes, shall we say, the American military connection to the movie. But in the new one I think it was a wise decision not to identify the enemy. The planes have no markings. The uniforms have no markings. They’re just the bad guys who are building up nuclear stockpiles, and we have to stop them. It’s not the American military that’s overthrowing the government somewhere.

One reason Mickey Thomas is said to have turned down “Danger Zone” is because he thought the original movie was too jingoistic. Was that concern in your mind? No. To me, it was just an adventure movie. But when CNN took “Danger Zone” and used it as background music for the bombing of Iraq, then I pulled the song out of my show. To me, that went over the top. I didn’t want to be the guy who wrote the theme song to World War III. When I finally brought it back into my show, I tried to redefine the song as being about living on the edge of excitement. I put in extreme-sports footage — people jumping out of airplanes, snowboarders doing 360s. The lyric is about characters that do that.

Do you think you’ve been successful in rebranding the song? I don’t. But for me, how I can perform the song, I want to hold it that way.

You’re not doing a whole lot in the music video for “Danger Zone” — basically lying around in a bedroom with a ceiling fan. That was Tony Scott. I was lucky to get to use the same director as the movie. How often does that happen? And that was his vision. He just wanted a smoky room, don’t make too much production out of it: “We’re gonna use a lot of footage from the movie, so just show Kenny being thoughtful.”

So that’s what you’re doing. I’m really not sure what emotion I was supposed to be portraying. The sunglasses and the fan were the most important elements.

Did the success you had in Hollywood change your ideas about celebrity? Well, I never really became a part of Hollywood. Music is the last thing they think of; it’s really the bastard stepchild of the movies. I didn’t even get an invitation to a party.

Ever consider acting? Barbra Streisand asked me if I was interested. She and I had really clicked when we were working on tunes together for “A Star Is Born.” That’s when I met Jon Peters, who was her boyfriend at the time. He’s in the kitchen cooking, and Barbra and I are just jamming on bits and pieces of song ideas. He’s noticing how much we’re laughing together, and she says, “Have you ever thought about acting?” I said, “No, it’s not my thing,” and that was the end of that conversation. I did ask Tom if they would consider putting me in a uniform and having me walk through a scene [in “Top Gun: Maverick”] as a joke. But they had bigger fish to fry.

Where does “Danger Zone” place on the list of your most lucrative songs? Depends how “Maverick” does. But, you know, with streaming today, revenue streams are so dramatically different. Back in the day we had a soundtrack album, we had a single, we had airplay — there’s no such thing as airplay anymore. It all depends on how it streams and if it gets picked up again as a pop-culture zeitgeist thing. I’d say “Footloose” is probably still on top of the list. “Danger Zone” is two or three.

What are some other reliable revenue streams? Corporate gigs — those pay more than what you get when you play a performing arts center or something. But I live off my publishing. That’s the thing I can count on from year to year. When 2020 happened, there was no other revenue — couldn’t do any performances. I have five kids and three grandkids I’m still helping somewhat financially. A couple of my kids went to college; my first daughter went to Wesleyan. That’s a pretty deep bite.

How’s the vibe at a corporate gig? When you’re the performer at the end of a weeklong conference, sometimes it feels like people wish they could just go home and not have to stay for the meeting where you have the special guest. And quite often they want the performer to be a surprise. So you’d better hope people like the surprise.

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Kenny loggins talks “danger zone” return for ‘top gun: maverick’ and upcoming memoir.

The iconic Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated musician chats with The Hollywood Reporter about his massive hit being utilized again in the Tom Cruise sequel and why he enjoys sporadically appearing on 'Family Guy.'

By Ryan Parker

Ryan Parker

Former Senior Reporter

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For Kenny Loggins, the highway to the “Danger Zone” has been one hell of a ride.

As he explains in his upcoming Still Alright: A Memoir, due out June 14, the iconic Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated musician wasn’t even among the top choices to record the high-octane number written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for the 1986 Top Gun soundtrack. But, through a series of events, Loggins went on to rock the song, which became arguably his most synonymous hit, instantly cemented in pop culture as a quintessential ’80s anthem.

Although “Danger Zone” was a solid number when Moroder and Whitlock wrote it, Loggins had to tinker with the tune — chord changes and lyrics — for the final product to be a massive hit. In fact, as he notes in his memoir, Loggins did enough to merit a co-writing credit, but that would have torpedoed Moroder and Whitlock’s eligibility to submit the required number of songs from Top Gun for Oscar consideration. So Loggins’ name was kept off the tune, and subsequently Moroder and Whitlock’s “Take My Breath Away” won for best original song. It would be more than a decade, after Moroder sold his catalog to Warner Bros., before Loggins would be properly compensated and credited as “Danger Zone” co-writer.

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And now, 36 years later, the up-tempo “Danger Zone” is back to greater pump viewers’ adrenaline in Paramount ‘s critically praised (97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) Top Gun: Maverick .

Loggins, who has two upcoming shows in July at the Hollywood Bowl with his former partner and collaborator Jim Messina, told The Hollywood Reporter he is equal parts elated and surprised his path has once again crossed with a serendipitous Tom Cruise project. He also sheds some light on how those random Family Guy appearances came about.

What did you think of Top Gun: Maverick ? Same excitement that you experienced from the original when you first saw it all put together in the theater? 

Well, I thought this was better. I like the first one a lot, but this one has an energy to it that reminds me of Indiana Jones or Star Wars . It’s really well written, a lot of character development for the new characters and a lot of Saturday matinee cliffhanging that really works for this film.

Seems like it was a safe assumption “Danger Zone” would be used in another Top Gun film. How did that come about? Did Tom Cruise personally ask?

I did not get a call, but I did Jimmy Kimmel Live! about four years ago, and Tom was on the same show. And, backstage, I went up to him and said, “So, I hear you’re going to do the new Top Gun . Tell me, is ‘Danger Zone’ in or out?” And he said, “It would not be Top Gun without ‘Danger Zone.'” I thought maybe he was trying to be nice, but he meant it, and I was very pleased.

As you detail in your memoir, the history of “Danger Zone” is somewhat complicated, from you landing the gig to the issue of proper writing credit to avoid mucking up awards consideration for Moroder and Whitlock. How did you feel when it became a massive hit?

Going in and singing it, I thought it was a real long shot, considering I hadn’t really done much like that up to that point in my career. “Footloose” is probably the closest I’d come, maybe “I’m Alright” [from Caddyshack ]. But when I went in there to record “Danger Zone,” I was thinking of Tina Turner and that aggressive growling that she did. So, that’s what my performance was influenced by, Tina’s style.

“Danger Zone” allowed me to work in a different kind of persona. With “Footloose,” that’s slightly more of a Southern kind of vibe to it. Because of Giorgio’s melodic form, “Danger Zone” is definitely a different place melodically and sonically for me to sing from. It was a style that I hadn’t allowed myself to sing. The rock of “Danger Zone” is really fun for me now because the audiences are much more responsive than they were back in the day. “Danger Zone” went out of fashion for a long period of time. It was really big for a year or two after the movie, and then sort of moved out. Shows like [FX’s] Archer made “Danger Zone” fun again.

Although I am not done yet, I am thoroughly enjoying your memoir. Tell me why this is the right time for Kenny Loggins to share his story. 

I have been asked if I would write a memoir a few times over the years, but I didn’t want to do it until I felt I had enough life experience to make it a fun book. And God knows now, at 74, seems like the right time. ( Laughs .) If you read the last chapter, I talk about how I hesitated writing a memoir because it feels like it puts a button on your story, that’s the end. So I address it head-on in that last chapter. You just have to be ready to think of it as a chapter in this part of life now. So, this clears the table and says, “Let’s move on.”

Speaking of new chapters, when you play the Hollywood Bowl for two evenings in July, your former partner and collaborator Jim Messina will be sitting in for a few numbers. How did that come about? Sounds like it will be special.

We just came to a place where we felt we could do it again, and we got this tremendous offer from the Hollywood Bowl. And we thought, “OK, do we want to do that again?” So, we’re exploring that answer. This may be the last of the Loggins-Messina shows — or maybe not. It depends on how it goes, how strong it feels and what the vibes are in the room.

It’s difficult to go backward like that. As you’ve probably seen with many artists who did the reunion tours — they couldn’t speak to each other ever again. Someone asked, “Will you do a summer tour with Jimmy Messina?” I said, “You know, that’s like asking me if I’ll move in with my ex-wife for three months.” ( Laughs .) It is not necessarily something I would leap at the chance to do — but at the same time, if the money is right and the situation is comfortable, I might consider it.

And then finally, since you mentioned Archer , I have to mention I love whenever you drop by Family Guy for a cutaway gag. How did those come about? Are you pals with Seth MacFarlane ?

( Laughs .) I don’t know how it came about. I just became one of those pop culture figures that Seth likes to draw on. I have nothing to do with making it happen, it just sort of happens. It’s always fun. The kids love it.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

Top Gun: Maverick is in theaters Friday . Still Alright: A Memoir, through Hachette Book Group, will be available June 14.

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Kenny Loggins Explains How Danger Zone Is Back In Top Gun: Maverick

Not only is the original "Top Gun" one of the most popular movies of the '80s (it was number one at the box office in the year of its release, 1986), but it also spawned one of the most beloved soundtrack albums of its era as well. Fueled by Berlin's Oscar-winning performance of "Take My Breath Away" and, most iconically, Kenny Loggins' pumped-up "Danger Zone," the "Top Gun" album became one of the best-selling film soundtracks of all time, with more than nine million copies sold .

Even more than "Take My Breath Away," Loggins' "Danger Zone" is perhaps the signature song of the film, its driving rhythm and urgency making it the perfect accompaniment for the opening of the movie and for images of F-14 fighter jets taking off from aircraft carriers to swoop and dive through the sky.

Flash forward some 36 years to the long-awaited sequel, "Top Gun: Maverick," and as the film opens, that propulsive beat and simple yet effective guitar blast out from the soundtrack again to the same kind of awe-inspiring imagery. Yes, "Danger Zone" is back, and according to Loggins himself, featuring the song in the new movie was a no-brainer for star and producer Tom Cruise: "He said, 'It wouldn't be "Top Gun" without "Danger Zone."'"

Tom Cruise says there is only one Danger Zone

"Danger Zone" was composed by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock after "Top Gun" producer Jerry Bruckheimer specifically asked Moroder to write a song that could play under the movie's opening scenes. Although the tune was reportedly offered to Toto , Corey Hart and Bryan Adams to record — all of whom turned it down for different reasons — it was eventually pitched to Kenny Loggins, who scored his second-biggest hit ever with the track, after "Footloose."

When Loggins heard that a "Top Gun" sequel was in the works , he wanted to find out if "Danger Zone" was going to be included. "It started when I met Tom [Cruise] for the first time, backstage on 'Jimmy Fallon,'" said Loggins on the red carpet at the "Top Gun: Maverick" premiere. "I knew that he was optioning the script and was going to do some new version of 'Top Gun.' So I said, 'What's the deal? Is "Danger Zone" in or out?' And he said, 'It wouldn't be "Top Gun" without "Danger Zone."'"

Although Loggins recorded a new version of the song "in the hopes that I could get more of a fresh version of it," he added that Cruise "wanted the vintage original version" for the sequel.

Asked about the song's longevity and impact 36 years after it was first released, Loggins said, "It's one of those songs. There are certain songs that you can see somebody get up to the plate, playing baseball, to hit and they'll play 'Danger Zone' behind it. I remember the first time I used 'Danger Zone' was in a celebrity pro golf thing ... I get up there, and just as I'm about to swing, they play 'Danger Zone' over the PA system, and it worked. I got totally pumped and slammed it straight down the middle."

"Top Gun: Maverick" — with "Danger Zone" blasting on the soundtrack — opens in theaters on May 27.

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Kenny Loggins recorded a new version of 'Danger Zone' that wasn't used in Top Gun: Maverick

Ride into the danger zone.

Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over seven years of experience in the entertainment industry. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine , The Hollywood Reporter , and more. She's worked at EW for six years covering film, TV, theater, music, and books. The author of EW's quarterly romance review column, "Hot Stuff," Maureen holds Master's degrees from both the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford. Her debut novel, It Happened One Fight , is now available. Follow her for all things related to classic Hollywood, musicals, the romance genre, and Bruce Springsteen.

If you've already seen Top Gun: Maverick , the opening sequence might've made you do a double take and check that you were in the right theater. That's because the intro to the film is exactly the same as the original 1986 movie, including the use of hit song, Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone."

But the song was almost a little different. Loggins tells EW he put a new spin on the famous track for the sequel. "I did re-record 'Danger Zone' to make a 5.0 version that would wrap around the audience," he says. "But Tom Cruise really wanted to conjure up the original version, the original feeling. So in the long run, it turned out to be the old track coming back."

Director Joseph Kosinki previously told EW that was a deliberate choice to reassure the audience they were in good hands. "I wanted that first few minutes to just tell you, this is a Top Gun movie, we love it as much you do," he said. "From there, our story goes in a very different direction, but I wanted the first few minutes to let the audience know: Don't worry, we love it too, this is going to be a Top Gun movie."

Loggins himself only found out about a month ago that his song was being utilized in the same place in the new film as it had been in 1986.

"When I met Tom Cruise on Jimmy Kimmel Live! about six years ago, I knew he had the property at that point," Loggins remembers. "I said, 'So, tell me, is "Danger Zone" in or out?' And he said, 'It wouldn't be Top Gun without "Danger Zone."' He stayed true to his word. When we first talked about it, they were thinking it might go in a scene in the middle of the movie or somewhere near the end where he comes to the rescue. Instead, Tom opted to use it at the beginning of the movie so that it really conjures up the energy and excitement of the original Top Gun ."

Loggins wasn't even supposed to record "Danger Zone" in the first place. He'd written "Playing With the Boys" specifically for the film's iconic volleyball sequence when he got the call to put his own spin on the track that has become something of a theme song for Top Gun .

Originally composed by Giorgio Moroder, with lyrics by Tom Whitlock, "Danger Zone" was considered for several other artists before producers went to Loggins. "In the process of recording 'Playing With the Boys,' I got a message that Giorgio needed me to come in and help finish the tune up," Loggins explains. "One thing led to another — I sat with Tom Whitlock and made some changes to the chords and a little bit of melody changes, a little bit of words here and there."

Loggins deferred receiving any writing credit to ensure that Moroder and Whitlock could get the Oscar nomination for Best Original Song (they did end up winning that year, but for Top Gun 's love ballad, "Take My Breath Away").

"But then I got a call that he needed a singer," Loggins adds. "I was writing ballads mostly, and I needed something up-tempo for my show. I had not yet heard it until I got together with Tom and we worked on that. Then the next day I was in the studio, singing it with Giorgio."

Loggins notes that the writing-recording experience was different from other songs he's done for movies, including the title track from Footloose and "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack . In this case, he was more the singer than the architect of the song. Still, he says, writing for film is radically different than writing for an album, because you're writing to story and character rather than simply speaking from the heart.

Even though Loggins' new version of "Danger Zone" didn't make the final cut, he loves the way his iconic track is used in the film. "It really does capture that vibe from the very first time [I saw it], 36 years ago," he marvels.

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Tom Cruise enters 'Danger Zone' in first 13 minutes of 'Top Gun: Maverick': Here's what you need to know

LAS VEGAS — Tom Cruise just won CinemaCon , dominating the convention for national theater owners with a dazzling display of his envelope-pushing, "most dangerous" stunt ever for "Mission: Impossible 7" and a reveal of the 13-minute opening of "Top Gun: Maverick."

After multiple pandemic-driven delays for the anticipated film, "Maverick" is due to hit screens nationwide Nov. 19.

The "Maverick" footage revealed at CinemaCon literally puts Cruise back in the danger zone. Fans of the original will rejoice knowing that the film opens with the classically awesome Kenny Loggins guitar-screed "Danger Zone," which became the soundtrack to summer 1986 when "Top Gun" first jetted into movie screens.

To boot, the scene is on an aircraft carrier with jets careening to stops on the platform. Very old school "Top Gun." Director Joseph Kosinski hits all the right touchstones from the original "Top Gun" right off the bat: Maverick (Cruise) grabbing his Ray-Bans, passing by photos of his deceased flight partner Goose (Anthony Edwards), throwing on that leather jacket, dramatically pulling the tarp off his motorcycle and then going for a joyride.

Thank you for that. And then it's on to the new.

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Here's what we learned from the sneak footage, without getting all spoiler-y:

Thank heavens Ed Harris returns to the screen to give Cruise's Maverick a suitable "Top Gun" foil. Looking tough as nails, Harris plays a drone-loving admiral who shuts down Cruise's jet program. But not before Cruise can get one more record-breaking flight in. As Cruise gets close to his record flight, Harris's newly-arrived admiral grunts, "You got some balls stick jockey, I'll give you that."

Cruise's Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is still mourning his lost RIO Officer Goose. Flying through the clouds, he looks at the rising sun and murmurs, "Talk to me, Goose." In the original movie , Maverick was cleared following the investigation over Goose's death. But it looms large with Goose's son, Lt Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller) joining Cruise's elite pilot group. In the Super Bowl "Maverick" trailer, Mitchell shouts, "My dad believed in you, I'm not going to make the same mistake."

Cruise is assigned as leader to the elite fighter training as a favor from an old friend, Admiral Kazansky. That's right, Val Kilmer's once cocky pilot Iceman is now an admiral, as seen in the footage displayed Thursday. There's even a framed picture of the admiral. Maverick is told, "He seems to think you have something to offer the Navy. What that is, I cannot imagine." Iceman did famously say in the original film, "You can be my wingman anytime."

'Top Gun 2': Everything we know about Tom Cruise's 'Maverick' (including no Charlie)

More: 15 must-see docs to see before summer ends: Val Kilmer, 'Lost Leonardo' and 'Misha and the Wolves'

500 skydives, 13,000 motorbike jumps: Tom Cruise's 'Mission: Impossible' stunt training pays off

Also shown at CinemaCon Thursday was elaborate behind-the-scenes footage of an "MI:7," stunt showing Cruise working with stuntmen to ride a motorbike off a massive ramp, over a mist-covered Norwegian cliff, free-falling in the air near the falling bike, and then parachuting to the ground.

"This is far and away the most dangerous thing I’ve attempted," said Cruise, in footage remarks. "We’ve been working on this for years."

The shoot took months working with separate stunt coordinators and with Cruise practicing the motorbike jump 13,000 times, including on a specially dug out quarry with cardboard boxes placed to save the motorcycle each time. Cruise said there were more than 500 skydives to get the free-fall near the walls of the Norwegian cliff right.

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The footage shows Cruise naturally bringing the camera along when he finally does the Norwegian cliff jump, showing him putting in his ear plugs before go time. "I like to wear ear plugs so I don't hear myself scream," he says.

Cruise takes the long ramp ride, jumps into the mountain mist of the dramatic cliffs, flies in the air with the motorcycle and pulls the parachute out.

Even better is seeing writer-director Christopher McQuarrie watching the monitors nervously as Cruise takes flight, and holding his head in nervousness after the parachute finally opens. The cheering crowd at CinemaCon could relate to the action.

Cruise seemed unsatisfied, saying he could have held onto the motorcycle longer in the air. They set up to do the stunt, again. And again. And again.

"Tom Cruise rode a motorcycle off a cliff six times today," a stunt coordinator is heard saying at the end of the day.

McQuarrie looks relieved for now. "The only thing that scares me more is what we have planned for M:I8," he says.

"Mission: Impossible 7" opens Memorial Day weekend 2022.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Top Gun: Maverick' soars as Tom Cruise shows off 13-minute opening

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Breaking news, why kenny loggins’ new ‘danger zone’ was cut from ‘top gun: maverick’.

Ride into the danger zone — of Hollywood’s cutting room floor.

Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins revealed on Tuesday that he had re-recorded the 1986 hit tune “Danger Zone” for Tom Cruise’s new film “Top Gun: Maverick.”

However, the song was axed from the final cut.

According to 74-year-old Loggins, he redid the song to bring audiences back into the “Top Gun” world — but Cruise, 59, wanted to go with the nostalgia of the original film’s soundtrack, Entertainment Weekly reported .

Director Joseph Kosinski — who helmed the blockbuster, record-setting sequel — said the choice to go with the original version was to assure the audience that they were in good hands.

“I wanted that first few minutes to just tell you, this is a ‘Top Gun’ movie. We love it as much you do,” Kosinski, 48, said in an interview with the outlet. “From there, our story goes in a very different direction, but I wanted the first few minutes to let the audience know: Don’t worry, we love it, too, this is going to be a ‘Top Gun’ movie.”

Meanwhile, Loggins said he only found out that “Danger Zone” wasn’t being used in April.

“When I met Tom Cruise on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ about six years ago, I knew he had the property at that point,” Loggins told the outlet. “I said, ‘So, tell me, is “Danger Zone” in or out?'” 

Cruise reportedly told Loggins that it would not be a “Top Gun” film without the song and that it would definitely be in the film. He stayed true to his word even though it wasn’t confirmed at the time where the song — or what version — would play at the time.

In the end, fans were hearing Loggins’ old-school rendition as “Top Gun: Maverick” soared to the top of the box office.

“When we first talked about it, they were thinking it might go in a scene in the middle of the movie or somewhere near the end where he comes to the rescue,” said Loggins. “Instead, Tom opted to use it at the beginning of the movie so that it really conjures up the energy and excitement of the original ‘Top Gun.’ “

Loggins stated that even though his new version of the song was never used, he was still really excited that the original was in the film.

“It really does capture that vibe from the very first time [I saw it], 36 years ago,” Loggins said.

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Kenny Loggins’ ‘Danger Zone’ Will Appear in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

When fans watch Top Gun: Maverick -- the long-awaited sequel to 1986’s Top Gun -- a familiar song will greet them. The Kenny Loggins classic “Danger Zone” is featured in the film.

“I finally met Tom Cruise on Fallon about, slightly before 2020 started,” Loggins recalled during an appearance on the podcast Literally! With Rob Lowe . “I stopped him before we went on and I said, ‘So, yes or no. Is ‘Danger Zone’ in the new movie?’ He said, ‘We can’t do Top Gun without ‘Danger Zone.’”

“For the last year I was not allowed to tell anyone that ‘Danger Zone’ was in the movie, because [Cruise] loved it so much he wanted it to be the surprise element,” Loggins continued. “So that when it came on people would go, ‘Oh my God!’”

Whether “Danger Zone” would be included in the sequel has been a topic of debate since the film was announced. Back in 2018, Loggins revealed that he was interested in recording a new version of the song for the project, “maybe as a duet, with a young act.”

Top Gun: Maverick recently screened for film industry members at CinemaCon in Las Vegas and received rave reviews . While reports confirmed that “Danger Zone” was featured in the flick, there have been no indications that any other artists are included on the track.

The original tune was a massive hit for Loggins, though he was not the initial choice to sing it. Songwriters Georgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock approached Bryan Adams , Corey Hart, REO Speedwagon and Toto , before eventually turning to Loggins when none of those options panned out.

“There was definitely some other act or bands ahead of me, and it fell out,” the rocker later recalled . “I just happened to be in the studio, and they needed a singer right away. I dropped what I was doing and went in.”

“Danger Zone” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped the Top Gun soundtrack sell more than 9 million copies in the U.S. alone.

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Tom Cruise returns to the danger zone in the triumphant 'Top Gun: Maverick' (Review)

It's fighter jets and fist-pumping heroism in director Joseph Kosinski's superb sequel.

For those of us who've made it around the sun forty or more times, one of the touchstone cinematic experiences of the '80s was Paramount Pictures' patriotic portrayal of daredevil Naval aviators in "Top Gun." 

Directed by Tony Scott (Ridley Scott's late brother) and released on May 16,1986, "Top Gun" was the macho movie that cemented Tom Cruise 's legacy as a megawatt movie star that lit up the screen at Mach 2 with his hair on fire in an F-14 fighter jet.

Now the sequel we never thought would happen, " Top Gun: Maverick ," is hitting the box office afterburners from director Joseph Kosinski with a stellar $156 million domestic opening weekend and Cruise reprising his role as the charismatic icon, Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell.

Related : Tom Cruise asks NASA astronaut Victor Glover all about spaceflight

Just when we were beginning to lose all faith in the Hollywood dream machine, "Top Gun: Maverick" delivers a triumphant crowd-pleaser that hits every emotional note and never descends into nostalgic sentimentality or rides on the famed coattails of its 1986 predecessor. This marks the biggest opening weekend of Cruise's 41-year acting career and breaks a 15-year-old Memorial Day record set by "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End." "Maverick" is seemingly everywhere on 4,732 screens across America, making it the widest release in Hollywood history.

Co-starring with Cruise is a squadron of talented actors including Miles Teller ("Whiplash," "The Offer") as Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, the son of "“Goose," Maverick’s best friend and co-pilot who perished in "Top Gun" after an ejection seat malfunction during a flame-out flat spin. But make no mistake about it, this is no formulaic rehash serving as a 21st century cash-grab.

The organic plot finds Maverick 35 years older and trying to integrate into the digital age as a relic of another era. The cocky test pilot is called back into action after pushing the envelope a bit too far in a stealthy experimental spy plane , where he’s ordered to shepherd an inexperienced flock of Top Gun graduates towards new heights of advanced combat in FighterTown USA.

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While acting as strike team leader for a suicide-type mission to destroy a rogue nation’s uranium factory in a perilous mountain setting, Maverick finds closure and purpose while inspiring a younger generation to reach for their personal bests in the most dangerous of conditions.

This just feels like the right film for our divided country and its thrilling dogfights are the perfect temporary antidote for rampant inflation, stock market malaise and stratospheric gas prices. When was the last time you heard the sweet music of a clapping, cheering audience at the multiplex? If we're being honest, it's been a while. 

But how refreshing is it to have your faith restored like a baptismal awakening, cleansed in the transcendent waters of smart filmmaking where emotional payoffs arise from carefully drawn characters in an engaging screenplay?

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The adrenalized script by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie offers a full spectrum of emotion and beautiful pacing as we watch Tom Cruise do what he does best - be a certified movie star in the old tradition. Jennifer Connolly as Penny Benjamin, Maverick’s bar-owning love interest, anchors the romantic side of the film and the pair produces palpable fireworks and glassy-eyed chemistry until the final sunset scene in a soaring P-51 Mustang. 

Astute aficionados of the 1986 flick will remember her character mentioned when Maverick and Goose are getting scolded by their carrier commander and he tells Maverick of his high speed pass with one admiral’s daughter. Goose then reminds Mav that it was indeed Penny Benjamin.

Director Joseph Kosinski ("Tron: Legacy," " Oblivion ") has crafted an instant classic by channeling the late Tony Scott’s style of riveting flash cuts, musical cues, and penetrating close-ups that made the original "Top Gun" so revolutionary. Here the F-18 Hornets’ low-altitude runs and intense aerial combat, deftly edited by Eddie Hamilton, are exhilarating to the point of inducing vertigo and will leave you as breathless as that haunting Berlin ballad from the first film.

Rounding out the top-notch cast are Jon Hamm, Ed Harris, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Monica Barbaro, and Manny Jacinto. Thankfully, Val Kilmer provides a touching extended cameo that adds tearful pathos to the sequel, playing Maverick’s ex-rival and now ardent supporter, Tom "Iceman" Kazansky who is now commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

From the familiar melody of Harold Faltermeyer's "Top Gun" theme, to Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone," and Maverick streaking down a runway on his old Ninja motorcycle, "Top Gun: Maverick" is a necessary trip down memory lane that kicks off the summer movie season on the highest of notes.

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Jeff Spry is an award-winning screenwriter and veteran freelance journalist covering TV, movies, video games, books, and comics. His work has appeared at SYFY Wire, Inverse, Collider, Bleeding Cool and elsewhere. Jeff lives in beautiful Bend, Oregon amid the ponderosa pines, classic muscle cars, a crypt of collector horror comics, and two loyal English Setters.

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Tom Cruise Takes James Corden to the Danger Zone with Frightening Flight in 'Top Gun' Fighter Jet

Monday's Late Late Show with James Corden featured the host going on a pair of flights with Top Gun: Maverick star Tom Cruise

Dave Quinn is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE. He has been working at the brand since 2016, and is the author of the No. 1 New York Times best-selling book, Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of the Real Housewives from the People Who Lived It.

James Corden feels the need — the need for a speedy landing.

The Late Late Show host, 43, had an adventurous two days with Tom Cruise on Monday night's show, joining the Top Gun: Maverick actor for a terrifying trip in the air on a pair of fighter jets.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime getaway that Corden wasn't necessarily excited about. In a package of the high-flying experience, he played as an unwilling participant in Cruise's plan — admitting, "When Tom Cruise calls, you sort of have to say yes."

Cruise, for his part, was thrilled to be palling around with Corden again, as the 59-year-old actor previously jumped out of an airplane with Corden while promoting 2018's Mission: Impossible — Fallout .

"I'm very excited that James is doing this," Cruise said, before piloting Corden in both planes. "Was he the first late night show that I asked? Hell no. He was just the first one, the only one , to say yes."

To kick things off, Cruise took Corden for a ride in a 1944 fighter airplane, Corden quickly putting up a sign in the window that said "Help Me."

Things got serious when a dueling plane popped up to challenge them. "We're in a dog fight," Cruise said, as Corden screamed, "I don't give a s---."

For more on Tom Cruise and James Corden flying on fighter jets, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

"You did good," Cruise assured Corden after they landed, the comedian teasing, "The fact that this is your idea of a fun day out tells me how different we are as human beings."

Just when Corden thought he'd survived, Cruise informed him the two would be going up again, this time in a jet fit for modern aerial warfare.

Amid Corden's "I don't want to do it" objections, Cruise told the host, "You are my Goose," a reference to his Top Gun character's best friend in the original 1986 movie.

"When you said I'm your Goose it makes me feel excited and then I realize that Goose dies in the film," Corden explained in response. "You're the first half of the film Goose," Cruise insisted. "That 'You've Lost that Loving Feeling' Goose."

"That's the Goose I want to be," Corden quipped. "I want to be in a bar, singing..."

From there, Cruise and Corden followed through with some additional Top Gun experiences (like a game of volleyball and a camping getaway) before heading up in their flight.

"You look like a fighter pilot, I look like a hamster," Corden said, as they suited up for the flight.

Corden loosened up for his second flight, even channeling his "Carpool Karaoke" segment by singing Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" and Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band's "Old Time Rock and Roll" — two tunes famously featured in Cruise's movies.

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But when Cruise started stunting, even flipping the plane upside down, Corden got scared. "Oh my God," he screamed. "This is absolutely ludicrous. This is the craziest thing... this is the stupidest thing I have ever done."

"You absolute bastard," he told Cruise. "I've got an idea, why don't we fly straight for a bit?"

"Okay, we'll fly straight," Cruise said, before flipping them over again.

Back on the ground, Cruise praised Corden for how he handled it all. "You can be my wingman anytime," he said.

"You know what, I think I'm good," joked Corden.

Top Gun: Maverick opens in theaters on Friday. The long-awaited sequel sees Cruise making his triumphant return as Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, this time returning as an instructor for the elite fliers three decades after his graduation from the TOPGUN Naval aviation program.

Among his young charges is Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, the son of Goose ( Anthony Edwards in the first movie). Miles Teller , who plays Rooster, is among the actors cast as new class of pilots. Also joining are Glen Powell , Greg Tarzan Davis and Lewis Pullman .

Aside from the hands-on skills required for the film, Cruise still had more to share with his costars, when the training was over and the cameras turned off.

"There were times after we were wrapped for the day, we would spend an hour circled around him, listening to the stories that he's been through," Davis, 28, told PEOPLE in a new all- Top Gun special edition .

Added Pullman, 29, "Every one of the pilots has a story of him talking about what he thinks is great about them, what they can do with that quality. He teaches you, basically, how Tom Cruise became Tom Cruise ."

The Late Late Show with James Corden airs weeknights (12:30 p.m. ET) on CBS.

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Danger Zone: The Making of 'Top Gun'

A comprehensive 6-part documentary on the making of "Top Gun" featuring all-new interviews with the cast and crew. Available on Disc 2 of the "Top Gun" 2-Disc Special Collector's Edition DVD... Read all A comprehensive 6-part documentary on the making of "Top Gun" featuring all-new interviews with the cast and crew. Available on Disc 2 of the "Top Gun" 2-Disc Special Collector's Edition DVD. A comprehensive 6-part documentary on the making of "Top Gun" featuring all-new interviews with the cast and crew. Available on Disc 2 of the "Top Gun" 2-Disc Special Collector's Edition DVD.

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• (as Lloyd 'Bozo' Abel)

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Kenny Loggins Recorded a ‘5.0 Version’ of ‘Danger Zone’ For ‘Top Gun’ Reboot, But Tom Cruise Had Other Ideas

"So in the long run it turned out to be the old track coming back," the singer said about the opening sequence's throwback vibe.

By Gil Kaufman

Gil Kaufman

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Kenny Loggins was excited to record an updated version of his classic Top Gun adrenalin-pumping anthem  “Danger Zone” for the new Top Gun: Maverick reboot. And the iconic song about pushing it to the limit does in fact appear in the opening sequence of the Tom Cruise-led fighter pilot drama that just smashed box office records over the Memorial Day weekend.

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Kenny Loggins

But in an interview with EW , Loggins, 74, revealed that his song reboot ended up on the cutting room floor. “I did re-record ‘Danger Zone’ to make a 5.0 version that would wrap around the audience,” he said. “But Tom Cruise really wanted to conjure up the original version, the original feeling. So in the long run, it turned out to be the old track coming back.”

Box Office: Tom Cruise's 'Top Gun 2' Rockets to Record $156M Opening

Which is why if you were one of the millions who went out to see the movie over the weekend you might have noticed that director Joseph Kosinki opted for an opening sequence that is pretty much the same as the iconic one in the 1986 original, down to the use of the vintage “Danger Zone” track. The director previously told EW that the intention all along was to tell the audience, “‘This is a Top Gun movie, we love it as much as you do… From there, our story goes in a very different direction, but I wanted the first few minutes to let the audience know: Don’t worry, we love it too, this is going to be a  Top Gun  movie.”

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Loggins said he just found out last month that “Danger Zone” was going to be reprised in the opening sequence, then recalled the time he ran into Cruise on Jimmy Kimmel Live! 6 years ago and they had a chat about the franchise. “I knew he had the property at that point,” Loggins said. “I said, ‘So, tell me, is ‘Danger Zone’ in or out?’ And he said, ‘It wouldn’t be Top Gun  without “Danger Zone.”‘ He stayed true to his word. When we first talked about it, they were thinking it might go in a scene in the middle of the movie or somewhere near the end where he comes to the rescue. Instead, Tom opted to use it at the beginning of the movie so that it really conjures up the energy and excitement of the original  Top Gun .”

And though his new version got the boot, Loggins said he had no hard feelings. “It really does capture that vibe from the very first time [I saw it], 36 years ago,” he said.

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