We might not know when and if Top Gun 3 is happening or not, but franchise alum Glen Powell is doing right by his call sign, “Hangman,” and being a ride or die for aviation-related movies. The actor’s latest project is The Blue Angels, an immersive documentary that takes audiences through nearly a year of the members of the Navy’s elite Flight Demonstration Squadron. When CinemaBlend spoke to the actor, he talked with us about how being part of the Maverick cast led to him becoming a producer on this latest big-screen endeavor.
During our interview, Glen Powell reflected on how far back his connections with the Navy go, with his grandfather being a flight surgeon for the military branch. The actor continued by sharing that he had a chance to see a Blue Angels show in his home state of Texas as a kid. He even had a signed poster of the squadron on his wall until he left for college. And, more recently, as a producer of The Blue Angels, he spoke about boarding the project, sharing these sentiments with us:
It was after Top Gun and it was while I was shooting Devotion that I was connected with my buddy Brian Ferguson, who’s the liaison between Top Gun the institution and Top Gun the movie, told me that they were trying to put a Blue Angels doc together. They were having some issues and he said, ‘Would you mind talking to Boss Wooldridge?’ He’s the most legendary boss in The Blue Angels history. And I said, ‘Absolutely.’ So we started talking about his vision for it. And then as we were talking, I realized, I had really formed an amazing community on Top Gun and Devotion with the Navy, and I’d really known all of these people through that process when we lived on all these naval bases.
As the A-lister explained, he was approached about making the documentary after his work on Maverick and Devotion. First, he had the chance to speak to the three-time Blue Angels leader, Greg “Boss” Wooldridge. Overall, it goes without saying that he’s become well-entrenched in this world of flying. As he continued:
So I kind of knew all the important figures that would be necessary. And, Kevin LaRosa and Evan Fitzmaurice who were the aerial coordinators on Top Gun, and I learned so much about the evolution of IMAX technology and how it’s gotten smaller and smaller where you could actually put these IMAX cameras on these planes and not affect the airworthiness. So it was like all of a sudden as I was talking to Boss, I was, I was starting to realize that there was a technological moment for this thing where we really could give audiences something unprecedented. And so it started developing. And, when JJ Abrams got on board it really opened it up in a completely different way where we really, in addition to having the human side to learning about these Blue Angels pilots and what life looks like for them, 300 days on the road a year, taking this show all around the world, we also got a chance to blow audiences mind and put ’em in a cockpit that they’ve never had access to.
The Top Gun sequel was, of course, a huge film that blazed a technological trail by capturing naval flight on IMAX cameras. Also, the Maverick cast went through some intense training in order to be able to sit in the back of real fighter jets (and no, they didn’t pilot them themselves). Real Navy pilots have since given positive feedback on the film as well. Just as the blockbuster put a major focus on the film format, The Blue Angels was shot with those cameras and premiered in theaters this past week. The Set It Up actor was also joined in the endeavor by several other veteran producers, with one being Super 8 and Star Wars director J.J. Abrams.
Since starring in Maverick, Glen Powell has earned his pilot’s license and become pals with Tom Cruise in real life. And, as mentioned, he also starred in the historical drama Devotion, which is about real pilots who fought during the Korean War. Clearly, Powell has not only been solidifying himself within the cinematic landscape, as he’s also been making the case for the brave miltary pilots who do their jobs so diligently.
You can still check out The Blue Angels in theaters, or stream it using a Prime Video subscription now! Also, be sure to check out the 2024 movie schedule for information on upcoming big screen releases, including Glen Powell’s forthcoming flicks.