This year saw the return of Tom Cruise’s Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell as he and the cast of Top Gun: Maverick delivered a massive hit. The new movie release which was saved for theatrical release through many pandemic-fueled delays, paid off as Paramount's film grossed over $1 billion worldwide. However, that success eventually saw a recent lawsuit filed against the studio, which has come into focus again as Maverick hits streaming.
Earlier this year, a lawsuit claimed Top Gun: Maverick infringed copyright, thanks to the family of late journalist Ehud Yonay notifying the studio they were reclaiming the rights to the article that inspired the original Top Gun. After months of legal wrangling, Digital Spy has recapped a lot of what’s happened, and it looks like there might be a court battle in the future.
As mentioned in the source report, Paramount tried to dismiss the lawsuit, stating that the Yonay family did not hold the copyright on the story inspired by the 1983 article “Top Guns.” That dismissal was struck down (via Variety) this past November, as both entries in Tom Cruise’s iconic franchise were deemed similar enough to warrant such proceedings.
Another crucial sticking point mentioned is how Shosh and Yuval Yonay, the respective widow and son of the late Ehud, filed to reclaim their copyright to "Top Guns" in 2018, with the rights set to revert in 2020. With the production of Top Gun: Maverick being claimed as completed in May 2021, the Yonay family believes that said sequel infringed their rights to the source material.
Both sides of the issue are looking to win out, with the family of Ehud Yonay looking to prevent Paramount from “profiting from the movie,” as well as “acknowledgement that the sequel was based on the article as well.” One could bet that the massive continued success of Top Gun: Maverick, which saw several theatrical re-releases, is going to be quite the sticking point for this future showdown.
As we’re currently at the end of 2022, we might not hear anything further about the Top Gun lawsuit until early in 2023. What can be said though is that Maverick will continue to crush, as it’s still captured its audiences’ attention right through to home media. So if Paramount is going to even think about a potential Top Gun 3, how this matter is handled will obviously be of the utmost importance in moving forward.
At the moment, you’re now able to enjoy Top Gun: Maverick in the comfort of your own home. The movie is available on physical and digital media for purchase, and can be streamed if you have a Paramount+ subscription. For a look at the movies heading to theaters in the year to come, the schedule of 2023 new movie releases is already available for your perusal.
