Tom Cruise, or Tom ajeossi as he is called in Korea, visited the country for the tenth time. But this time he came with his Top Gun: Maverick team to promote the movie.
The film was released in theatres worldwide last month. It earned $885 million globally, surpassing the $791.1 million earned by Mission Impossible: Fallout. After Titanic it is Paramount Pictures’ second highest-grossing movie.
Tom Cruise arrived in Korea on Friday from the United Kingdom, where he is presently filming his eighth Mission Impossible film. On Sunday, along with Cruise, Miles, Jay Ellis, Glen Powell, Greg Tarzan Davis, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer spent three hours with fans outside the Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, southern Seoul. They also attended a press event at Lotte Hotte World in Southern Seoul.
“It was very important to all of us to be able to come here in person and share the communal experience of watching a movie in a theater together. Thank you for the warm welcome, always.”
Despite years of requests for a Top Gun sequel, Cruise resisted because he never wanted to disappoint the audience.
“In every country I go to, people would ask for a sequel. There’s a tremendous amount of pressure. Jerry and I talked about it and made a list of parameters on how to approach making this movie. We agreed that we’re not going to stop until we get it right.”
Tom Cruise also lauded the rest of the actors for their commitment to the project. They all went through a three-month training sessions that included flight instruction and the use of camera equipment in certain scenarios.
“The beauty of making films is it’s a group effort. You have to have everyone’s agreement on how you’re going to do it and what you’re reaching for. It takes a very dedicated, unrelenting commitment by all of us. That is something I demand for myself and I ask of the people I’m working with.”
Tom’s love for Korea and his fans was evident from the time he arrived. He showed his affection with finger hearts at the airport and took long-distance selfies with them because personal touch was prohibited owing to Covid-19.
During the red carpet event, Cruise assured his admirers that he will return next summer.
