The legendary action film of the 1980s gets a sequel with “Top Gun: Maverick”, which could now cause trouble, especially in China.
Top Gun: Maverick has been highly anticipated for years. The sequel, starring Tom Cruise as the intrepid fighter jet pilot, has been repeatedly postponed due to the pandemic, but the blockbuster has now started internationally in cinemas. Fans can look forward to daring flight maneuvers and a patriotic story. However, one sequence in particular should cause displeasure in China. It is interesting that this was apparently only later placed back in the film. What makes the topic explosive is the fact that the film will possibly no longer be released in China and thus one of the largest cinema markets in the world will collapse. But what’s the problem?
In fact, it’s all about a small detail on Pete Mitchell’s (Tom Cruise) flight jacket, which he wore in the first part. It features a patch showing the flags of Japan and Taiwan. In the first trailer for “Top Gun: Maverick”, which was released in 2019, the flags were no longer visible and were replaced. Now, however, they reappear in the full film and are clearly visible in one scene.
For years, China has repeatedly made its claim to Taiwan clear by increasing its military presence in the airspace. Beijing regards the country as a breakaway province that broke away from China in the civil war after the communists won 1949. Since then, Taiwan has been supported by the United States, with Senator Lindsey Graham recently visiting the island and assuring US support.
Again and again, US films are not shown in China because the communist party does not agree with the details of the films. Changes are then often made by large production companies. The fact that the flag of Taiwan, of all things, has found its way back into the film “is unprecedented,” Hong Kong film critic Ho Siu Bun told Vice World News. “Big film studios have never shied away from serving the Chinese market. And even if it’s a simple scene, it’s very expensive to edit. So no one knows why they changed it back.”
The Chinese government has not yet reacted to the scene, but the film has not yet started in China. The detail could now lead to the film being completely stopped in China.
Top Gun: Maverick set the record for the strongest theatrical release of Tom Cruise’s career. Now the film has also overtaken “Pirates of the Caribbean” and set a US record.
“Top Gun: Maverick” got off to a dream start at the box office. Mega-star Tom Cruise even set a personal record with the sequel to his 1986 cult hit.
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The original of this post “Makers could make China very angry with a small change” comes from TV Spielfilm.
