Chapter 339: Top Guns III

Simpson, Bruckheimer, and Yonay were really planning to go all in with this.

Ever since news of a competing script's copyright bypassing theirs.

Ever since news of pre-productions, productions, and post-production had reached their ears.

Ever since the teasers and trailers had called out to them.

Especially so when they got the premiere view of this whole Navy aviation movie that haunted them.

Yonay was relatively clueless but the producer duo knew what's what.

Simpson and Bruckheimer know a viable movie when they see one.

What they saw during this premiere wasn't just something viable.

It could very well be the biggest hit of a film producer's film-producing career.

Of course, their opinions aren't absolute. They weren't Hollywood gods.

However, the film they saw perfectly fit the vision they had when they sought to kickstart such a project.

If anything, it did that and more.

For the high Simpson, it was ragingly glorious!

The more grounded Bruckheimer felt the same as his partner. It was glorifying in many ways.

This was supposed to be great news...

Then they remembered that this was in no way their film at all.

They weren't a part of it.

All the more, they felt robbed of it.

After all, they remembered that they had many source and resources that was so, so, so close to it.

Top Guns, most especially!

This meant that they could have had Top Gun!

This glory that they could have been theirs!

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As the saying goes... if we can't have it, then no one can!

With Simpson's drugged emotions, Bruckheimer's rationalizations, and Yonay's articulate creations... their mission was set.

"If it still isn't clear... we're here to tell you that your Top Gun wouldn't be shaping itself to how you want it to be." They blazed on with motivation. "You will most likely be seeing us in court."

It's just that in their first step, it felt like they already fell short.

"Okay then." Was all that their elderly enemy reacted. Already on the verge of walking away.

As if treating their warning and themselves as nothing.

"Wait!" The brash one couldn't take that lying down.

"What?" Old Sullivan was confused. What more they could want?

"Aren't you worried?" A question that the trio wanted to know. "Everything you've built here will come crashing down!"

"That's an exaggeration." Old Sullivan was amused and he also mused. "Also, is that all you wanted? To see me worried?"

If that is the kind of validation they want in this little endeavor of theirs, to see an elderly man worried or panicked, then ye elderly man could only pity them.

"Throwing heavy accusations just to see the man that produced Top Gun without your Top Guns sweat." Old Sullivan smiled. "Is this the extent of your resolve for doing things?"

"No." Bruckheimer denied for the team.

Of course not. Their goal for doing this is much more than sending an old man into a frenzy.

It's just that this old man being this lax made the three of them feel discomfited.

Was this the supposed reaction of a man whose happy premiere event is suddenly ambushed with bad news?

The elderly man's lax smile was disconcerting. Much more so, is the little boy right beside him.

That face of indifference and that knowing stare. It's as if this boy knew all their fates with just a gaze.

They were probably just being over dramatic but something about this old-young duo before them just seemed odd.

The minimal reactions from these two really sent doubts in the trio's blazing mission.

"We're serious." Bruckheimer could only reaffirm.

"We really are serious." Yonay echoed his peer but inquired to his enemy. "But why aren't you?"

Old Sullivan found this trio really amusing. "Well, it's because I think you three are just wasting your time."

That's all there is to it.

"Ha Ha Ha." Was that some joke? Cause, Bruckheimer sure ain't laughing. "How could we be wasting our time?"

"We have many copies of May 1983 California Magazine to back our claim!" Yonay was really clinging here.

"Admittedly, it is a nice piece and you're quite the author." The old man praised but shot it down as well. "It's just too bad that none of it really matters in the bigger picture.."

"How could my detailed report on the experiences of TOPGUN cadets and myself not matter?"

Clearly, Yonay felt insulted.

"I retold the history of how the Fighter Weapons School came to be what it is!"

"Going as far as breaking down the mechanics of what makes one aviation machine different from the other!"

"If that wasn't enough, I flew myself in one of those jets to know what flying feels like!"

"That! Is brilliant journalism and authorship."

"Also, I've checked. I'm the very first one to have deep coverage of the topic. No other body of work predates my article."

Ehud Yonay really had stuff to say about the absurd simplification of his worth. "How could it not matter?!

"If anything, me and MY Top Guns might as well be the inspiration for making the film and you just don't want to admit it!"

Old Sullivan could only blink amusingly at that. This man's spiel was quite the sight

Such a distinctive reaction was very rare to see.

Unfortunately, its amusingness and rarity didn't actually help much with the trio's case.

"I'm not disputing you on your efforts but like I said, none of it really matters." Does his old bones really have to reiterate something so obvious?

"Now, do think back on all of that you've said." Of course, with the man's stubbornness, Old Sullivan could only do it for him.

"Detailed reports. Experiences of TOPGUN cadets. History of the school. Breaking down the mechanics of aviation machines. Know what flying feels like. Journalism. Authorship."

"None of this really constitutes you to owning TOPGUN. Am I right?"

Yonay was tongue-tied at that. Even Bruckheimer and Simpson knew where this was headed and it was bad.

"You say "my" Top Guns like a drama queen but do remember it's just a journalistic piece, a detailed report, and an articulated article." This was the crux of it. A crux that ultimately rendered their claims moot. "You own what you authored but you don't really own what your authoring about."

"In this premiere, there are true blue TOPGUN cadets, instructors, technicians, chain-of-command, and there are also a lot of higher-ups." The old Creed elaborated slowly but surely.

Slowly but surely, Yonay and his buddies realized the implications of what was being said.

Old Sullivan then added a clincher. "I dare you to say that you own them."

"I..." Yonay wanted to rebuff but as he looked left and right at the many uniformed men in this theater hall... he couldn't do it at all!

"You see, it's not a matter of who wrote first." Old Sullivan shook his head at the poor showing. Where was that spark from earlier? "It's a matter of who cooperated with these real TOPGUN first."

"This was what Creed Pictures did and what your producer pals didn't. These producer pals of yours may be giving you credit but is that credit really deserved."

"You do own that magazine article's copyright and whatnot... but that's all to it."

"Your article may have inspired these Hollywood pals of yours but that doesn't mean that everyone else will."

"TOPGUN owns the history you wrote on it. TOPGUN owns the technical aviation stuff on it. Also, Mr. Yogi and Mr. Possum from your article should be the ones that own the cadet stories on it."

"Without your prided Top Guns, any Top Gun story can still be a story of its own. Your prided Top Guns isn't necessary for it."

"Unfortunately, we were the ones that beat you to it."

"You could dispute this on the legal court all you want but none of it will really bear fruit."

Siting stuff like fair use and whatnot isn't even needed.

"As for why I know, my and my little grandson here had expectations that you guys will do it."

"If you guys think you're ambushing us today, then you give yourselves too much credit."

"We already had our legal team prepare contingencies for stupidities like these."

"They covered the Writers Guild, the copyright office, and all the legal technicalities."

"Unfortunately, our team already has bad news for you." Old Sullivan could only feel pity for them. "You three just don't have a case to begin with!"

Yonay felt like breaking down from that. Bruckheimer didn't really have much to refute. All the while, Simpson's face scrunched up to the scrunchiest that it could.

"Okay then." Old Sullivan concluded. "If there isn't anything more, we have to go. It wasn't very nice getting to know you."

"Cheerio." And Old Sullivan bid farewell with the quietly staring Alexander in tow.

He was looking at the ambushing trio's shamed expressions, finding it hard to tell whether they will stop or if this just egged them on even more.

Then again, Alexander had a sure feeling that with Old Sullivan's earfully undisputable bashing, this whole Top Guns nonsense would end.

Of course, he had a much surer feeling that the premiere events were finally fizzling out from there.

Meaning that aside from Top Guns, this whole Top Gun film premiere had also come to an end...