Prince William and Kate Middleton got the world premiere of the sequel to Tom Cruise’s Top Gun

WILLIAM and Kate received a world-first preview of Tom Cruise’s Top Gun sequel – his Hollywood superstar.

Tom welcomed the royals to the private screening, which he arranged after learning Wills was a fan of the original.

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The Prince, 39, a trained RAF helicopter pilot, and mother-of-three Kate, 40, were joined on the Top Gun: Maverick secret tour by Sophie Wessex, 57, and Princesses Eugenie, 32, and Beatrice, 33.

It took place at an IMAX cinema in London’s Leicester Square, as Tom wanted the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to see the much-anticipated release on one of the UK’s biggest screens.

A source said: “It’s a very unlikely film premiere but Tom made the offer after learning William is a fan. They gladly accepted. Let’s face it, guests don’t get much A-list anymore!

“The rest of the cinema was closed to ensure privacy and William, Kate and a few other members of the royal family – plus a few very trusted friends – were the first to see it.

“Tom greeted them and said he hoped they would enjoy watching it as much as he enjoyed making it and left it to them.

“Apparently it met with royal approval – not least because William was a military pilot himself, so it’s pretty close to his heart.

“It’s also a mega-dollar movie with some of the most incredible stunts ever performed on camera, so it lives up to the hype.”

Tom, 59, made the first Top Gun in 1986. In it, he plays hot-blooded rookie fighter pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell at the US Navy’s Elite Combat Weapons School.

He reprises the role in the sequel, which officially premieres at the Cannes Film Festival next month. This time he’s leading a training group of Top Gun graduates.

Its release was delayed by Covid.

During filming, a hard drive containing one of the few copies was in Tom’s BMW when it was stolen in Birmingham.

Police recovered the car and hard drive after thieves abandoned the engine.

The film was originally scheduled for release last year but is now due out in June.

Kensington Palace, meanwhile, declined to comment on the vernissage.

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