Tom Cruise: "My Passion Hasn't Cooled but Burned Brighter with Age... I'll Visit Korea 40 Times"[Comprehensive]

'Top Gun: Maverick' Korea Press Conference
Tom Cruise's 10th Visit, Most by a Hollywood Star
"Korean Audience's Unique Love for Movies... Felt the Energy"
"Value of Majority, Power of Action and Story"
Sequel After 36 Years "Did Not Want to Disappoint"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] "It is an honor to return to Korea, a country with beautiful culture. I will come back next summer and the year after. I will continue to make movies for you all."

Actor Tom Cruise shared his thoughts on his 10th visit to Korea with the film Top Gun: Maverick, breaking through the pandemic. This visit sets the record for the most visits by a Hollywood actor and is the first in Asia. This trip holds special significance. Given the domestic situation, visiting Korea was not easy, but Tom, as both producer and lead actor, never gave up on meeting Korean audiences. As the situation improved and the release was postponed, he finally came to Korea. Perhaps because of this sincerity, the film’s box office momentum is extraordinary even before its release. At 3 PM, the film recorded 159,659 real-time ticket reservations, with a reservation rate of 53.8%.

At the press conference held on the afternoon of the 20th at Lotte Hotel World in Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, Tom Cruise said, "Sitting in a movie theater and watching a film together is a beautiful experience. We worked hard to release the film and faced difficulties bringing it to Korea. Thinking back on the past few years is overwhelming." He then expressed gratitude, saying, "Thank you for waiting."

Tom Cruise first came to Korea in 1994 with the film Interview with the Vampire. Since then, he has visited Korea for Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), Vanilla Sky (2001), Valkyrie (2009), Mission: Impossible ? Ghost Protocol (2011), Jack Reacher (2013), Mission: Impossible ? Rogue Nation (2015), Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016), Mission: Impossible ? Fallout (2018), and now Top Gun: Maverick, marking his 10th visit.

Tom Cruise said, "Over time, my passion has not faded but grown stronger. I have spent most of my life on film sets and in editing rooms. I want to show everything about life. Traveling around, understanding history, culture, and people is truly important. I want to turn this into drama and share it with people through the screen." He added, "I want to come to Korea 30 to 40 more times. Every time I come, it feels joyful and like a dream."

"Returning to Korea after four years, I feel a certain energy. It feels like we are all reconnecting. It’s a different level of joy than before. The release was delayed, but I adjusted my schedule a lot to visit Korea. It’s moving to regain the experience of looking into each other’s faces and exchanging greetings. Yesterday’s red carpet event and premiere were beautiful experiences. I saw smiles behind the masks. After dinner yesterday, I toured around. Korea is always a joyful place to visit." (Tom Cruise)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Top Gun: Maverick, directed by Joseph Kosinski and releasing on the 22nd, tells the story of the top pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) returning as an instructor and the new team members who undertake life-or-death missions. Attending the visit were actor Tom Cruise, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and actors Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Jay Ellis, and Greg Tarzan Davis. Jerry Bruckheimer, known as Hollywood’s Midas touch for producing Pirates of the Caribbean, Bad Boys, and the CSI series, participated as a producer. Rising stars who gained recognition through the film also greeted fans. Jay Ellis, callsign "Payback," and Greg Tarzan Davis, callsign "Coyote," came to Korea for their first visit, excited and thrilled.

Top Gun is the film that launched Tom Cruise into stardom 36 years ago. Returning as the legendary fighter pilot Maverick, he took on the lead role and sequel production.

"Many people have been waiting for the sequel for years. Wherever I went, I was asked about the sequel. It was a burden, so Jerry and I discussed how to proceed. We set several benchmarks to make an American film and considered what needed to be fulfilled artistically. We pondered how to create it visually and in terms of characters. It was an enormous burden. We also considered what was necessary for the audience to re-enter the world of Top Gun. We believed it had to have the same tone, storyline, and emotional line as the previous series. It’s just that 36 years have passed; we didn’t want to disappoint the fans."

Tom Cruise cited the story as the key to the global success of the Top Gun series. He recalled, "When I was young, I wanted to make movies and travel the world. I also wanted to pilot airplanes." He continued, "The story is very special. It has drama and spectacular action. It’s a touching story about honor, friendship, and family. These values are what we all understand and cherish. The storytelling is fun, which appeals to many people."

"Movies are completed through everyone’s cooperation, and everyone must give their best effort. I actually piloted fighter jets, and the director, actors, and I all worked hard to meet the quality. You will be able to feel this in theaters. I am grateful and cherish this meaningful effort. All that effort will be fully reflected in the film."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

'Top Gun' stills

Tom Cruise created an intense five-month flight training program and learned how to fly, endure gravity, and pilot with Navy instructors and pilots. The actors kept training logs like real fighter pilots, which Tom reviewed. He said, "The plane that appeared in the World War II scene was mine. Including that, I piloted several planes."

The actors said they studied aircraft scenes together with the Navy. Tarzan said, "It felt like enlisting in the Navy. I had to deliver lines while blood rushed to my head and enduring gravity. None of this would have been possible without a Tom Cruise movie." Regarding this, Tom Cruise said, "Based on effort and experience, I was confident and pushed myself to do more. I never gave up or stopped."

Tom Cruise also gave an unforgettable message to fans who remember the nostalgia of Top Gun. "You can cry while watching the movie. It’s a film for everyone. Enjoy it."