If there's a Tom Cruise movie that fans are even more excited to see than Mission: Impossible 7, it's got to be the long awaited sequel to Top Gun. Fans of both franchises were recently given a blow when it was confirmed that both movies are seeing their release dates pushed back once again, but considering that filming was done over two years ago, Top Gun: Maverick, one has to assume, is in a finished, or close to finished, form. And it turns out that there are copies of the movie out there, as one of them was recently stolen along with a $100,000 BMW being used by Tom Cruise.
At the end of August, The Sun reported that a car being used to drive around Tom Cruise in the U.K. while he continues filming on Mission: Impossible was stolen from a hotel parking lot. The thieves reportedly stole some of the actor's belongings that were inside the vehicle at the time, before dumping the car behind a takeout restaurant. That's already going to be enough to frustrate people, but now it seems there was something else of incredible value inside the car, a copy of Top Gun: Maverick.
The copy of the movie was apparently found inside the vehicle when it was recovered, so it at least appears that the potential catastrophe has been averted. It appears the car was dumped not long after it was stolen. The car was found only three miles from where it was taken and the CCTV footage hit the public the next day. At this point, its unclear if the thieves knew whose vehicle they had stolen, so they may not have had any clue what they were taking, or what they were leaving behind. If they did know, the possibility that the movie might have copied exists.
We'll likely find out soon enough. The movie almost certainly was watermarked and had other security measures in place, so if the film finds its way online, we'll know it, and we'll know where it came from. Still, by the time that happens, it may be too late. Once something hits the internet it's difficult to make it disappear entirely. And with Top Gun: Maverick not not set to hit theaters until May of next year, there's still a significant amount of time left that the film needs to be kept under wraps. Although we do know how the movie opens.
Of course, it's also unclear if the version of Top Gun: Maverick that was in the car was actually complete. While there's certainly been enough time to complete post-production on the film, these days you can never be entirely certain. Whether it was a workprint meant for Tom Cruise, as producer, to review or something final for the star to be able to see the end product, we don't know.
While there will certainly be those who would try to look at a pirated version of Top Gun: Maverick online if it were there, most fans will likely wait until the film arrives next summer.
