Winter Storm Elliot may have ruined Christmas for millions of families this year. But Paramount Plus helped make everything better by releasing a three-hour video of our favorite Top Gun: Maverick fighter pilots playing beach football on a toasty sunset beach.
The winter weather hit most of the U.S. on Thursday night, and it kept would-be travelers stuck at airports or at home. It also caused massive flooding, blizzard conditions, and/or sub-freezing temperatures. So on Friday, Dec. 23, the studio decided to give everyone a special Christmas gift to take their minds off the chaos.
Paramount Plus dropped the video on YouTube—to thousands of people’s delight. And it highlights the fan-favorite scene from Top Gun: Maverick where Rooster, Hangman, and Maverick rip off their shirts for a sweaty beach ball competition. Unfortunately, the video isn’t an extended director’s cut that shows never-before-seen muscle-clad footage. Instead, it’s the movie scene on a loop paired with a festive tune. But, we’ll take it.
“Some folks might prefer staring at a crackling fire for their yuletide celebrations,” the caption reads. “But if you’re the type who feels the need for speed, a loop of Top Gun: Maverick’s sweaty beach football scene might be the holiday joy you’re looking for.”
The looped clip shows the cheerful competition with team Maverick working together to win the game. All shirtless chest bumps are included, and yes, Rooster’s famous second-long shimmy repeatedly plays for three hours as well.
“This’ll be on our TV while we open presents Christmas morning,” one fan commented.
“This is the kind of high-quality content I subscribe to Paramount + for,” wrote another.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Officially the Highest-Grossing Movie of 2022
But the excitement comes as no surprise considering Top Gun: Maverick’s insanely successful run in theaters. The movie broke several records. It’s also earned a handful of awards, and more are sure to come as we head into next year. On Christmas Eve, the movie also officially earned the title of the top-grossing movie of the year.
Worldwide, the Tom Cruise hit grossed $1.5 billion, and $700 million of that came from the domestic box office. On top of that, the movie is now in the record books as the fifth highest-grossing domestic debut ever.
The fame is in part thanks to Cruise’s determination to not let Paramount move Maverick to an all-streaming premiere during the pandemic. The movie was set to release while the country was in the midst of COVID. At the time, dozens of other films moved to various streaming platforms. But Cruise said he wouldn’t stand for that with his movie. So Paramount moved the debut three times until it finally landed on Memorial Day 2022.
