The sequel to Tom Cruise’s movie “Top Gun”, which was released 36 years ago, is now a commercial and critical success. It earned $248 million worldwide on its first weekend. It’s being celebrated in Taiwan for not pandering towards China.
2019 trailer for Top Gun: Maverick showed Cruise’s character, U.S. Navy pilot Pete Mitchell in the exact same bomber jacket that he wore in “Top Gun: Maverick”. Two of the flag patches, which represented Japan and the Republic of China respectively, were replaced by other emblems.
This was seen as a self-censorship move to please China’scensors. Beijing regards Taiwan, a self-governing democracy of 24 millions people, as an inalienable territory. It lashes out at any mention of it as a sovereign country.
Both flags were restored on the film’s release last Month, after a two year delay due to pandemic. Local news outlet SETN reported that the crowd erupted in applause and cheers at the sighting of the Taiwanese flag displayed on the big screen at an early screening in Taipei.
Paramount Pictures’ film, “Paramount Pictures,” has set box office records in Taiwan. It raked in more than 100 million Taiwan dollars ($3.4million) its first week.
According to Taiwanese moviegoers, the flag’s appearance encouraged them.
“The R.O.C. China has always suppressed the flag around the globe. It is both a surprise and a delight to see the R.O.C. Rex Hsu, a Taoyuan software engineer, said that the R.O.C. flag was featured in a blockbuster movie. “I hope that the R.O.C. is seen more often in the world.” Flag, so we are not alone in this world.
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Hollywood often ignores Beijing’s sensibilities in order to profit from the lucrative Chinese market. John Cena, the “Fast & Furious” actor apologized in Mandarin to his Chinese fans after he called Taiwan a country on a publicity tour for the newest film in the franchise.
Experts believe that the inclusion of Taiwanese flags in “Top Gun Maverick” could signal a change in Hollywood’s culture of deference towards China’s redlines.
“There have been a few recent cases of high-budget U.S. films failing to reach the Chinese market.” Aynne Kakas, associate professor of media studies at Virginia and author of Hollywood Made in China, said that studios are well aware of the situation and are making business decisions.
Hollywood blockbusters, including the Marvel films “Eternals” and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), were kept off Chinese screens because directors and actors made remarks about China.
Tencent, the Chinese tech giant, had stated in 2019 that it would invest in “Top Gun 2”. However, it pulled out after it became concerned that supporting a film with pro-U.S. military themes might anger officials at the ruling Communist Party. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Tencent was citing sources familiar with the financing.
NBC News requested comments from Paramount Pictures and Tencent offices in China. Friday was a public holiday in China.
Kokas stated that filmmakers were more flexible in making decisions because “Top Gun: Maverick” was not scheduled to be released in mainland China.
