Tom Cruise reveals to Newshub how he hopes audience will respond to Top Gun: Maverick

Action man Tom Cruise is back - in the highly anticipated Top Gun sequel. 

Cruise choppered onto the red carpet in San Diego on Thursday (NZ time) for the premiere of the sequel to the 1986 classic.

Newshub entertainment editor Kate Rodger was there and she got the inside word from Cruise ahead of Top Gun: Maverick's release - more than three decades after the original became a screen classic.

Cruise told Rodger about his hopes for the movie - and also mentioned his love of New Zealand.

Watch the interview on The Project above.