The Top Gun: Maverick release date moves up a couple of days. Positioned as Paramount's major summer tentpole, the film is the long-delayed sequel to the classic Tom Cruise vehicle, Top Gun, which grossed $356.8 million worldwide back in 1986. It sees Cruise reprise his iconic role as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, who's still working as a Navy test pilot after all these years. This time, Cruise is surrounded by an ensemble cast that includes Jennifer Connolly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, and others. Marketing for Top Gun: Maverick promises another exhilarating action flick - one fans have waited decades to see. Now, they can see the movie sooner than expected.

According to Deadline, Top Gun: Maverick will now debut in theaters on Wednesday, June 24. It was previously scheduled for release on Friday, June 26.

It's unknown what motivated Paramount to make this change. Top Gun: Maverick isn't facing much in the way of direct competition when it premieres. It shares its opening weekend with musical In the Heights, which is obviously targeting a different demographic. As such, both films should be able to coexist at the box office and post healthy debuts when they arrive in a few months. It's possible Paramount wanted to get ahead of the upcoming Fourth of July releases, which include Minions: The Rise of Gru and Free Guy. Of course, there may not be much to it at all. As Deadline notes, Paramount has made a habit out of releasing summer blockbusters on Wednesdays, rather than the traditional Friday slot.


Top Gun: Maverick's synopsis reads as follows: After more than thirty 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.