Paramount is hoping to refuel the Top Gun franchise for liftoff once more for a third film in the storied franchise.
Top Gun: Maverick co-writer Ehren Kruger is penning a script for what would be a new installment, and sources say Maverick director Joe Kosinski would also return to direct. Puck first reported the news of Kurger’s involvement. The intent is to reunite Tom Cruise with his next gen co-stars Miles Teller and Glen Powell.
The development comes days after Warner Bros. Discovery announced that Cruise had signed a deal to star and produce movies for Warners, though that pact is non-exclusive. The actor’s recent films have largely been at Paramount, though he did not have a deal there. While some could view the Top Gun news as a tit for tat in the war for Cruise headlines, the reality is this sequel has quietly been in development since late fall.
Paramount could not be reached for comment.
Maverick was a massive overperformer at the box office in 2022, earning $1.5 billion globally and sparking Steven Spielberg to credit Cruise with saving the theatrical business, which had been beleagured by the coronavirus pandemic. The feature followed decades after Tony Scott’s 1986 Top Gun, which helped cement Cruise as a rising movie star.
Don’t expect to see the new Top Gun movie in the near-term. Cruise is currently working on an eighth Mission: Impossible movie, which will keep him occupied until at least its release, currently set for May 2025. And it took a few years of development before Maverick became airborne. Still, this development further cements one thing that became apparent after this week: Cruise is still an in-demand star and studios will be battling his time and attention for years to come.