How Glen Powell’s Top Gun: Maverick Role Led Him To Make A Documentary About The Blue Angels
There's an intriguing link.
We might not know when and if Top Gun 3 is happening or not, but franchise alum Glen Powell is doing right by his call sign, “Hangman,” and being a ride or die for aviation-related movies. The actor’s latest project is The Blue Angels, an immersive documentary that takes audiences through nearly a year of the members of the Navy’s elite Flight Demonstration Squadron. When CinemaBlend spoke to the actor, he talked with us about how being part of the Maverick cast led to him becoming a producer on this latest big-screen endeavor.
During our interview, Glen Powell reflected on how far back his connections with the Navy go, with his grandfather being a flight surgeon for the military branch. The actor continued by sharing that he had a chance to see a Blue Angels show in his home state of Texas as a kid. He even had a signed poster of the squadron on his wall until he left for college. And, more recently, as a producer of The Blue Angels, he spoke about boarding the project, sharing these sentiments with us:
As the A-lister explained, he was approached about making the documentary after his work on Maverick and Devotion. First, he had the chance to speak to the three-time Blue Angels leader, Greg “Boss” Wooldridge. Overall, it goes without saying that he's become well-entrenched in this world of flying. As he continued:
The Top Gun sequel was, of course, a huge film that blazed a technological trail by capturing naval flight on IMAX cameras. Also, the Maverick cast went through some intense training in order to be able to sit in the back of real fighter jets (and no, they didn’t pilot them themselves). Real Navy pilots have since given positive feedback on the film as well. Just as the blockbuster put a major focus on the film format, The Blue Angels was shot with those cameras and premiered in theaters this past week. The Set It Up actor was also joined in the endeavor by several other veteran producers, with one being Super 8 and Star Wars director J.J. Abrams.
Since starring in Maverick, Glen Powell has earned his pilot’s license and become pals with Tom Cruise in real life. And, as mentioned, he also starred in the historical drama Devotion, which is about real pilots who fought during the Korean War. Clearly, Powell has not only been solidifying himself within the cinematic landscape, as he's also been making the case for the brave miltary pilots who do their jobs so diligently.
You can still check out The Blue Angels in theaters, or stream it using a Prime Video subscription now! Also, be sure to check out the 2024 movie schedule for information on upcoming big screen releases, including Glen Powell's forthcoming flicks.
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Sarah El-Mahmoud has been with CinemaBlend since 2018 after graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Journalism. In college, she was the Managing Editor of the award-winning college paper, The Daily Titan, where she specialized in writing/editing long-form features, profiles and arts & entertainment coverage, including her first run-in with movie reporting, with a phone interview with Guillermo del Toro for Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water. Now she's into covering YA television and movies, and plenty of horror. Word webslinger. All her writing should be read in Sarah Connor’s Terminator 2 voice over.