
While its place in Hollywood history definitely boosted the Top Gun franchise, the original 1986 film was successful for many reasons. It was a huge financial hit, earning $357 million (equivalent to $1 billion today) on a $15 million budget (about $44 million today), and it received positive reviews from both critics and audiences. It even earned four Academy Award nominations and won one Oscar. Though often remembered in the shadow of the sequel, the first Top Gun movie is impressive on its own, and remarkably, still holds undiscovered details after 39 years.