Ahead of Top Gun: Maverick‘s May 27th release, a promotional website for the film, has given fans their chance to generate their own callsigns. The sequel to the 1986 classic will see the return of Tom Cruise’s ace pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell to the big screen. Top Gun: Maverick will see Cruise’s character assigned to teach a new generation of pilots.
After numerous delays due to certain flight sequences needing polishing and the COVID-19 pandemic causing scheduling issues, Top Gun: Maverick will finally be seen by audiences in May 2022. Almost thirty-six years after Tony Scott’s action drama classic was released, director Joseph Kosinski will reintroduce fans to an older, but no-less thrill-seeking Maverick, as he’s tasked to train a new class of Top Gun candidates for their own specialized assignment, bringing him face to face with Miles Teller’s Lieutenant Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, son of fallen Maverick’s wingman “Goose” (Anthony Edwards). As teased by Lady Gaga’s soundtrack song, “Hold my Hand,” Top Gun: Maverick will tackle Maverick’s darker moments from his past while passing on what he knows to a new generation. As part of the film’s promotional materials, Paramount Pictures have offered fans the chance to earn their callsigns.
Ahead of the film’s release, Paramount Pictures have launched a new website at the address whatsmycallsign.com, alongside a short promotional YouTube clip. In the video titled “Top Gun: Maverick | Callsigns explained,” newcomer cast member Jay Ellis and the film’s Naval Aviation Technical Advisor/Aerial Coordinator Captain Brian “Ferg” Ferguson explain the importance of callsigns within the film and air force structure alongside clips of the film’s flight sequences. Meanwhile, whatsmycallsign.com uses fan’s devices’ cameras and a short questionnaire to generate personalized callsigns and helmets. Check out the video below and whatsmycallsign.com to earn your callsign.
Teller recently discussed the importance of Bradley’s callsign in a recent interview, revealing some insight into how the filmmakers approached coming up with the new cast’s distinct callsigns. In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Teller revealed that the filmmakers tasked him to develop the callsign for his character instead of having it already written into the film’s script. The actor then revealed that he intentionally chose a bird-themed name like “Rooster” to pay homage to the character’s fallen father, Nick “Goose” Bradshaw. The death of the latter weighed heavily on Maverick in the original film.
Alongside the film’s dedication to its impressive flight sequences, callsigns add another layer of detail and immersion to the world of Top Gun, helping subtly convey the traits and qualities of its characters, such as Maverick’s independent, stand-out nature or Rooster’s connection to his father. With the film earning positive early reviews, Top Gun: Maverick is shaping up to have the potential to capture the audience’s attention, much like the original 1986 did. As such, offering fans the chance to join the cast of high-flying ace pilots with personalized callsigns is a great way to build up excitement for Maverick’s new assignment.
Source: Paramount Pictures, whatsmycallsign.com