Triumph For Val Kilmer, Who Bravely Beat Throat Cancer, As ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Becomes Paramount Pictures’ Highest Grossing Film Of All Time

Back in 1997, Titanic brought in $600.7 million during its initial release. And there’s a bit of a caveat to Top Gun’s triumph over the unsinkable ship: a theatric rerelease brought in another few million for the big boat, whose all time domestic total stands at $659.3 million.

While new Top Gun sequel has done well at home, it’s also been a smash overseas it’s brought in almost as much money in other countries, with a total box office of $1.19 billion, globally.

While Top Gun: Maverick is undeniably a hit, it still has a ways to go before it can make its way into the conversation about all-time records: it still falls outside the top 10 and has brought in less than half of the biggest revenue-generator ever: 2009’s Avatar.

In the film, Val Kilmer reprises his role as Iceman, a pilot who was initially an antagonist to Tom Cruise’s titular Maverick in the original. Despite any onscreen tension, the two stars seem to get along famously these days.

According to Kilmer's autobiography, I'm Your Huckleberry, he was initially reluctant to take part in another Top Gun movie after producers didn't contact him. But once he expressed interest, he was brought back onboard.

"Forget the fact that thirty years had passed since I'd seen the ghost of Iceman's dad. I remembered it like it was yesterday," he wrote. "The producers went for it. Cruise went for it. Cruise couldn't have been cooler. And the next thing I knew I was back, as the Beatles said, where I 'once belonged.'

"Tom and I took up where we left off. The reunion felt great."

A New Voice For Val Kilmer

The only problem was, treatment for throat cancer had largely robbed Kilmer of his voice. Filmmakers were able to help give Iceman a voice again thanks to artificial intelligence technology that used samples of Kilmer speaking to recreate his signature speech patterns.

Kilmer's journey with throat cancer has been less than linear. He wasn't considering conventional treatment at first, thinking his Christian Science faith would heal the tumors, but he eventually agreed to undergo chemotherapy for the sake of his children Mercedes, 30, and Jack, 26, whom he had with his ex-wife, English actress Joanne Whalley, 60.

Kilmer also underwent a tracheotomy a surgical procedure that connects the windpipe to a hole in the front of the neck which greatly impacted his speaking voice.

And though he originally kept his cancer battle out of the public eye, Kilmer eventually shared more about his journey through interviews, his memoir, I'm Your Huckleberry, and his documentary, Val, which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

"I have been healed of cancer for over four years now, and there has never been any recurrence," he wrote in I'm Your Huckleberry. "I am so grateful."

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What To Know About Throat Cancer

Throat cancer is a type of head and neck cancer where cancerous cells begin in the throat, voice box or tonsils. Some of the main risk factors for this disease include smoking, drinking alcohol, a diet lacking in fruits or vegetables, acid reflux disease and the human papillomavirus (HPV). So, one way to decrease the chances of developing the disease is to get the HPV vaccine.

The HPV vaccine is recommended for boys and girls between ages 9 and 12, but teens and young adults through age 26 who are not already vaccinated should get the HPV vaccine as soon as possible. Dr. Jessica Geiger, a medical oncologist at Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, explains the link between throat cancer and HPV in a previous interview with SurvivorNet.

"There are no screening guidelines to screen for throat cancer, unlike cervical cancer with pap smears. And there are no standard tests to determine if you harbor the (HPV) virus," she said. "However, there is no concern that you're going to spread this cancer to your partner or to anyone else, because at this point your partner has already been exposed to the virus and likely cleared it."

There's no annual screening for throat cancer, so doctors usually discover the disease when a patient sees them with symptoms that may point to it. Some symptoms include:

• A cough
• Changes in your voice
• Difficulty swallowing
• Ear pain
• A lump or sore that doesn't heal
• A sore throat
• Weight loss

It's important to note, however, that these symptoms are not exclusive to throat cancer. Still, you should always see a doctor if you have any changes to your health.

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