Appeals Court Rejects Top Gun Maverick Lawsuit
A U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that Top Gun: Maverick, the 2022 blockbuster starring Tom Cruise, does not infringe the copyright of a 1983 magazine article that inspired the original Top Gun film.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California, determined that Maverick, produced by Paramount Pictures, is not substantially similar to Top Gun, an article written by journalist Ehud Yonay about the U.S. Navy’s elite fighter pilot training program.
Yonay licensed the article to Paramount for the 1986 film and received on-screen credit. However, after his heirs terminated that license in 2020, they claimed the sequel unlawfully reused protected elements and sought a share of the film’s profits.
Maverick grossed approximately $1.5 billion worldwide, becoming Tom Cruise’s highest-grossing film and one of the top 15 highest-grossing movies of all time, according to Box Office Mojo.
The court rejected the heirs’ arguments, stating that similarities cited were too abstract and not legally protectable. Judges emphasized that Maverick introduced major new elements, including a mentor storyline and expanded character arcs.
The ruling upholds a lower court’s 2024 dismissal and confirms that Paramount was not required to credit Yonay in the sequel.
Paramount still faces a separate lawsuit from screenwriter Shaun Grey, who claims he contributed scenes to the film. Jury selection in that case is scheduled for March 9.
