Top Gun: Maverick is full of callbacks to the original 1986 movie, but there's one in particular that may have passed you by. In fact, the movie's editor has even admitted that only one eagle-eared fan has noticed it all.
"My favorite party trick is showing people that they sampled the volleyball scene audio in Top Gun 1986 for the beach football scene in Top Gun Maverick," wrote one Twitter user, named Emma, sharing clips of the two scenes side by side. The post gained traction on the site and, at the time of writing, has been liked nearly 6,000 times.
It also came to the attention of the movie's editor, Eddie Hamilton, who replied to the Tweet: "Emma I am stoked you noticed this. Very deliberate little nod to the original iconic beach volleyball scene. Bravo. Well played," he said. "No one else has spotted this as far as I’m aware. Enjoy your time in the smug zone."
What's more, Top Gun: Maverick's writer – and frequent Tom Cruise collaborator – Christopher McQuarrie chimed in, too, writing: "Tom and I were most impressed when Eddie showed us this over breakfast this morning. Keep on smugging, Emma."
McQuarrie, Hamilton, and Crusie are all working on the upcoming Mission: Impossible movie, Dead Reckoning. Part 1 is due to hit the big screen on July 14, 2023, with Part 2 following on June 28, 2024.
Top Gun: Maverick is set to arrive on Paramount Plus in the UK on December 22, but a US streaming release date has yet to be announced. In the meantime, check out our guide to the rest of the year's upcoming movies.
