Where Was Top Gun Maverick Filmed? Filming Locations Of The Top Action Flick!!

If you’re interested to find out where was Top Gun Maverick filmed, then follow this article till the very end. As, today I’m not only going to discuss the filming locations of this highly-awaited, Tom Cruise starrer action film, but I’ll also give you an overview of Top Gun: Maverick.

The American action drama film, Top Gun: Maverick released in 2022 stands as the sequel to the blockbuster movie, Top Gun 36 years prior to the film. The audience was more than eager to watch their favorite action hero return to the big screen with this engaging film. Even though the characters are inspired by the original film, they are somewhat depicted in a more contemporary way. The basic premise of Top Gun: Maverick revolves around Captain Pete Mitchell and new recruits of the naval air base. Pete, as a seasoned flight instructor, trains the recruits to conduct complex airborne missions and also mentors them personally.

Top Gun: Maverick, exceeded the expectation of the makers by leaps and bounds. This super-exciting action film grossed over $1.488 billion at the box office, against a production budget of $170 million. This astronomical commercial success was because of the cohesive storyline and astounding performance of the actors, which the fans thoroughly enjoyed.

So, before I give you an overview of this award-winning film, let’s explore where was Top Gun Maverick filmed. So that you can take a closer look at the filming locations.

Where Was Top Gun Maverick Filmed? Let’s Know This Action Drama Film Closely!

The makers of Top Gun Maverick decided to shoot the film entirely in America. Specifically, filming was done in and around different locations in California. Joseph Kosinski, the director of the film, wanted to follow the tradition of shooting in authentic American locations, like the prequel of this film.

So during the initial stages of pre-production, the director, along with some other members of the unit, scouted

potential filming locations across the west coast of America. Places like South Lake Tahoe and San Diego were selected as prime location for shooting. Whereas some pivotal sequences were also filmed in Los Angeles and El Dorado County. 

The principal photography commenced way back in September 2018 and was completed by the first week of July, in the next year. The filming schedule, albeit too long, wasn’t necessarily delayed. The filming crew captured the sequences by staying on top of the shooting dates. However, the makers ran into a huge problem during the post-productions, which delayed the release of Top Gun: Maverick. Now without waiting any further let’s find out where was Top Gun Maverick filmed, and discuss more interesting facts about the specific shooting locations.

San Diego, South Lake Tahoe, California | USA

The opening scene of the film, where the Naval Air Station, was actually filmed in North Island, San Diego. The production members had to acquire special filming permission from the government, before using the base to shoot the exterior shots of the base. Important to mention that, several air bases in different locations were used for filming, and each time the members had to take permission for shooting, from the authority of the base.

Now, after the establishment and the opening scenes were filmed in San Diego, the production members moved to the city of South Lake Tahoe. The majority of the breathtaking airborne drills shown in the movie were filmed in and around this beautiful Californian city. 

The Lake Tahoe Airport was used by the crew to capture exterior sequences of the remote mountain military airstrip, depicted in the movie. The director mounted special cameras on helicopters and used high-definition lenses on drones to capture the picturesque scenes of the airstrip from the top. The scene where Captain Pete conducts his first flight drill was also filmed in the same location.

You’d be amazed to know that special fighter planes were actually used for shooting several shots of the training and the combat scenes. The production members then arrived at The Lake Tahoe Basin Management, to capture the sequences of the snow-covered mountain meadows.

Other filming locations, California | USA

After the majority of the sequences were filmed in San Diego and South Lake Tahoe, the crew traveled to other parts of California and shot the remaining sequences. A small-sized house located at 4000 Bluff Place, San Pedro was used as the exterior scenes of Penny’s home. The Mountainous terrains and the river canyons depicted in the movie were all filmed in El Dorado County.

Then, finally, the production members arrived at the last filming location, to shoot the ending sequence of the movie in Point Loma. The heart-breaking sequence showing the cemetery in the last scene was captured in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

Alright friends, now allow me to give you an overview of Top Gun: Maverick in brief. So that you can get a basic idea about the storyline of this film. Meanwhile, you can check out The Last of Us, Sonic Prime and Spider-Man: No Way Home as well.

Plot Of Top Gun Maverick | What’s It About

The central story of Top Gun Maverick revolves around the character of Captain Pete Mitchell, a seasoned combat pilot of the US Navy, who trains a bunch of new recruits. At the very beginning of the movie, the back story of Cpt Pete is depicted, where all his past achievements as a pilot are shown.

Later in the film, the lead actor then meets with the new recruits of the academy and lays down ground rules to them. Soon, exhilarating air training drills are conducted, under the supervision of Cpt Pete. Watch Top Gun: Maverick to find out what happens when the lead actor brings the young pilots to a complex airborne mission.

Final Words

Ok friends, so now that you’ve reached the end, I hope now you finally know where was Top Gun Maverick filmed. You can also tell us your thoughts in the comments section below. Don’t forget to check out other amazing articles on Viebly, which are equally intriguing.