393. Making TOP GUN: MAVERICK with editor Eddie Hamilton

Eddie Hamilton is one of the greatest filmmakers working in mass entertainment today. A genius editor whose resume stretches from the KINGSMAN franchise to X-MEN: FIRST CLASS and the two best MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE films (Rogue Nation and Fallout), he spent two years working on what has become the cinematic event of 2022 - TOP GUN: MAVERICK. Today, Eddie takes us a journey through the film, using the expertly chosen needle drops - from Hank Williams to T Rex to Lady Gaga - to explore the relentless rigour and refinement that goes into creating a truly epic piece of cinema. Topics covered include: Striking the perfect balance between 80s nostalgia and creating a new timeless classic. Why specially written songs by Kenny Loggins, One Republic and Post Malone, and even a still unreleased Rolling Stones song, didn’t make the finished film. Creating a modern version of the original film’s opening sequence, down to the fonts in the title cards. The long theatrical run and incredible box office success of the film. A never before revealed Tom Cruise musical cameo. Feeding the internet’s appetite for Miles Teller thirst traps. How Eddie and his teamed rescued the pivotal F-18 training montage, turning it from something they were embarrassed to watch to a highlight of the film with only three days to go. A mini-masterclass on how to construct epic climactic action sequences from dozens of hours of raw footage, like the aerial dogfight in Top Gun: Maverick and the helicopter chase in Mission: Impossible - Fallout. The importance of inserts and cutaway shots to build emotional stakes and maintain story clarity for the audience. How Lady Gaga delivered the iconic power ballad the film had to have, and how they weaved the song into the film in big and subtle ways.  This is a spoiler-filled conversation - we literally go from the opening credits through to the ending credits - so if you are the one person on earth who is yet to see this film, please correct that posthaste before listening.