Falling roof during Taiwan screening of 'Top Gun: Maverick' mistaken as special effects

The ceiling in a Taiwanese IMAX theater collapsed during a screening of Top Gun: Maverick on Saturday but was written off as practical special effects from the movie by audience members.

The incident at the Vieshow Cinemas in Kaohsiung was reported by a couple netizens like user tonkyo13 on the online forum PTT, reports Taiwan News.

He posted he heard rumbling noises, then “less than five seconds later, I saw the entire ceiling fall down … and it was less than five meters from me.”

“Am I supposed to think that IMAX really has a strong effect,” he joked, referring to IMAX’s higher level of detail over regular theaters.

Facebook user Chang Chih-hao posted his own photos of the rubble and joked, “You never know where Tom Cruise will fly out on an airplane from.” He reassured readers that no one was injured.

A staffer for a Taiwanese lawmaker said the falling ceiling, which fell over the front rows, looked like part of the film’s special effects from his seat in the back of the theater, according to an interview with Channel News Asia.

He realized it was more serious when staff immediately turned the lights on and began evacuating the audience, each of whom were reimbursed for two tickets.

Vieshow Cinemas quickly announced on Facebook that all screenings at that location were cancelled for the day.

CNA later reported that that the Kaohsiung city government is fining Vieshow Cinemas NT$60,000 ($2,040 American) under its building code for endangering the public after authorities determined the collapse had been caused by rusted metal ceiling frames.  

Tom Cruise’s sequel to the 1986 cult classic brought in a massive $284.5 million worldwide during its Memorial Day weekend launch.

Taiwanese residents were thrilled to discover the country’s flag, which had been censored on the protagonists’ jacket in its 2019 trailer, was restored in release version.

Chinese tech giant Tencent pulled its funding out of the film for its strong pro-U.S. military themes, reported the Wall Street Journal.