The First ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Ride Is Coming to Las Vegas

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Do you feel the need? The need for elaborately-themed entertainment experiences?

That’s fantastic! Today, Paramount unveiled plans for a new attraction inspired by their 2022 blockbuster, “Top Gun: Maverick”. As stated in a press release, the “Maverick” experience will blend thrilling visuals, lively entertainment, and the iconic essence of Top Gun, featuring fighter jet simulators and other elements.

Visitors will experience an exhilarating journey on advanced thrill rides and cutting-edge technology, transforming adventure as you know it. Later, unwind at the revamped Top Gun: Maverick’s Hard Deck bar and restaurant, where live piano performances and singalongs are part of the entertainment! It seems like they’re really living up to their promise of “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'” right there!

It seems more fitting for this attraction to be situated in San Diego, but surprisingly, it’s being proposed for a location at the STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower in Las Vegas instead.

As a dedicated cinephile, I’ve been eagerly waiting for the return of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in “Top Gun: Maverick”, the long-anticipated follow-up to Tony Scott’s 1986 action classic, Top Gun. In this sequel, it’s me who finds myself back at my old stomping ground, ready to mentor a fresh batch of aviators for a perilous mission. Remarkably, the new film surpassed even the success of the original Top Gun, raking in an impressive $1.49 billion globally at the box office.

This upcoming project marks the debut of a theme based on “Top Gun: Maverick”, however, it’s not the first time a ride has been inspired by the Top Gun franchise. Back in 1993, California’s Great America park, which was owned by Paramount at the time, introduced a roller coaster themed around Top Gun. Although the name has changed over the years, from “Top Gun” to “Flight Deck”, the naval aviator theme remains.

The fresh “Top Gun: Maverick” experience is planned to debut in Las Vegas during the summer season of 2028.

Iconic Characters Who Made Cameos in Other Franchises

Kane (Alien) in Spaceballs

As a film enthusiast, I can’t help but appreciate the clever nods to classic sci-fi films like “Star Wars” and “Alien” in the hilarious spoof “Spaceballs.” Towards the end of the movie, during a seemingly ordinary dinner scene, the heroes are shocked when a character resembling Gilbert Kane from the Nostromo crew (played by John Hurt) suddenly collapses on the table, only to have a baby xenomorph burst out of his chest – a direct reference to the iconic scene in “Alien.” However, unlike the terrifying original, this xenomorph puts on a straw hat and performs a charming ragtime dance as it exits the scene, adding a humorous twist to the memorable moment.

Non-Disney Toons in Who Framed Roger Rabbit

In a fictional Hollywood setting that blends reality with cartoon characters, the plot of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” unfolds. To make this concept more convincing, real-life cartoon stars occasionally appear on screen. The belief was that a blend of animation and live action could revitalize the struggling Walt Disney Studios. Jeffrey Katzenberg, then-chairman of the studio, successfully persuaded various rival studios to temporarily loan their famous cartoon characters for the film. These collaborations often came with specific conditions, such as having Donald Duck from Disney and Daffy Duck from Warner Bros. share the stage as equally skilled dueling pianists in one scene.

T-1000 (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) in Wayne’s World

The essence of “Wayne’s World” lies in a humorous, exaggerated feel, where characters might break the fourth wall to comment on events or alter scenes according to their whims. Driving along the highway en route to meet his rock musician girlfriend Cassandra, Wayne Campbell encounters a motorcycle cop. However, upon removing his helmet and sunglasses to show a photo of a young boy he’s searching for, the officer is unveiled as Robert Patrick, portraying the T-1000 android from “Terminator 2: Judgment Day.” Just like the viewers, Wayne recognizes him instantly, screams in terror, and flees the scene.

Link (Encino Man) in Son in Law

Following his discovery from ancient ice blocks by a couple of careless teenagers, the eccentric caveman character Linkovich “Link” Chomovsky, portrayed by Brendan Fraser in the movie Encino Man, had an unexpectedly flourishing career in Hollywood despite being an unusual find in the field of paleontology. In 1993, Fraser reprised his role as Link in the comedy film Son in Law, where he starred alongside Pauly Shore, who played the part of Crawl, a college misfit pretending to court a naive freshman during their Thanksgiving visit to her family’s home. A scene featuring Link can be seen at a Halloween frat party, where he tries to lick a plastic toad detached from Crawl’s Carmen Miranda costume. Additionally, Link made an appearance in Pauly Shore’s subsequent comedy film In the Army Now, playing a fellow soldier who believes that the chicken at the barracks tastes identical to frog meat.

Ray Stantz (Ghostbusters) in Casper

In the movie “Casper”, the trio of spooky poltergeists known as The Ghostly Trio frighten numerous well-known individuals during their nocturnal activities, causing Dr. James Harvey to quiver in fear when they transform his face into those of Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson, Rodney Dangerfield, and the Cryptkeeper – all of whom make an appearance as themselves in the film. To truly demonstrate their potent abilities, however, the movie invites a seasoned professional, Dan Aykroyd, in a brief role as Ray Stantz from “Ghostbusters”. Overwhelmed by the spectral might of The Ghostly Trio, he scampers down the manor’s front steps, asking heiress Carrigan Crittenden, “Who you gonna call?” to which she responds, “Someone else.

Ray Nicolette (Jackie Brown) in Out of Sight

Prior to the establishment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there existed the Elmore Leonard Cinematic Universe. Following Michael Keaton’s casting as detective Ray Nicolette in Quentin Tarantino’s adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s novel “Rum Punch,” titled “Jackie Brown,” Keaton was also given a minor role in Steven Soderbergh’s “Out of Sight.” Interestingly, both films feature Keaton’s character. Miramax owned the rights to Nicolette because “Jackie Brown” began filming first, but Tarantino successfully persuaded the studio not to charge Universal for using Nicolette in his brief appearance in “Out of Sight.” During this scene, Nicolette appears to inform Karen Sisco and her father about the whereabouts of bank robber Jack Foley (and her father gets a chance to mock his FBI t-shirt).

Jay and Silent Bob (View Askewniverse) in Scream 3

Since the Scream films often make fun of other horror movies and the film industry as a whole, it’s fitting that they would include characters known for their self-referential humor. In Scream 3, during a studio tour where the set of Stab 3: Return to Woodsboro was shown, two visitors suddenly appeared as Jay and Silent Bob from Kevin Smith’s View Askewniverse, complete with their signature large coat and backward cap. They thought they saw Courteney Cox’s Gale Weathers, but were actually mistaking her for real-life news anchor Connie Chung – perhaps it was the hairstyle that caused the confusion.

Frank Martin (The Transporter) in Collateral

Michael Mann isn’t typically associated with including a surprise Jason Statham appearance in his films, but he did just that in ‘Collateral’. In this movie, as Tom Cruise’s character Vincent navigates through an airport crowd, he accidentally bumps into Jason Statham, who is carrying a briefcase. The two exchange significant glances before moving on, and Statham’s character disappears from the film afterward. Although he’s only listed as Airport Man in the credits, fans speculate that Statham portrayed Frank Martin from the ‘Transporter’ series – a theory partially supported by ‘Collateral’ screenwriter Stuart Beattie, who has suggested that the movies share the same fictional universe.

Doc Brown (Back to the Future) in A Million Ways to Die in the West

In various films and television series, the character of Doc Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd in the “Back to the Future” trilogy, has made brief appearances. One such instance is in Seth MacFarlane’s Western parody, “A Million Ways to Die in the West.” Here, the main character, Albert Stark, encounters Doc Brown secretly fixing his DeLorean inside a barn. It’s interesting to note that the time period of “Back to the Future Part III” coincides with that of MacFarlane’s film. Additionally, this movie features another well-known cameo in its post-credits scene, where Jamie Foxx appears as his character from “Django Unchained.” This character is on a mission to prevent the townsfolk from playing an offensive game at the fair.

Annabelle (Annabelle) in Aquaman

In a fascinating twist of cinematic universe connections, the underwater crusader Aquaman and the paranormal investigations conducted by the Warren family have no apparent links – except for one common factor: their movie realms are orchestrated by the same director. When horror maestro James Wan helmed ‘Aquaman’, he chose to include a subtle nod to another franchise, placing the menacing Annabelle from The Conjuring series in the movie for a fleeting moment that could be easily missed. During the early scenes of Aquaman’s film, if you look closely as he and Mera board her ship, you will spot Annabelle lurking on the ocean floor, waiting to terrorize an unsuspecting Atlantean. Annabelle also makes an appearance in the DC superhero movie Shazam 2, which is directed by David F. Sandberg, who is known for directing Annabelle: Creation as well. This cinematic universe seems to be intricately linked!

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2025-05-23 18:25