Paramount Confirms Development of Third Top Gun Film
The film will reunite actor Tom Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. A script for the project is currently being written.
Paramount Pictures confirmed the development of a third film in the Top Gun franchise during its presentation at the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas on Thursday, April 25, 2024.
Announcement and Key Details
The announcement was made by Paramount film co-head Josh Greenstein during the studio's presentation at the annual theater owners convention.
Project Status: The film is officially in development. Greenstein stated a script is "well underway."
Key Personnel: Actor Tom Cruise is expected to reprise his role as U.S. Navy pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is also returning.
Writer: Ehren Kruger, who co-wrote the 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick, is writing the script. Multiple sources, including a 2024 report from Deadline, indicated Kruger was hired for this purpose approximately two years ago.
Director: No director has been announced for the project.
Background and Development History
The new film is a follow-up to Top Gun: Maverick (2022).
Predecessor's Success: Top Gun: Maverick was a major commercial and critical success.
- It grossed approximately $1.5 billion globally against a reported production budget of $170 million, making it the highest-grossing film of Tom Cruise's career.
- The film was directed by Joseph Kosinski.
- It received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and won the Oscar for Best Sound.
Plot of Maverick: The 2022 film followed Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell as he returned to the Top Gun flight school to train a new generation of pilots for a dangerous mission. It featured Miles Teller as Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, the son of Anthony Edwards' character "Goose" from the original 1986 film.
Previous Cast: The supporting cast of Top Gun: Maverick included Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Monica Barbaro, Danny Ramirez, Jay Ellis, Greg Tarzan Davis, Manny Jacinto, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Charles Parnell, Ed Harris, and Bashir Salahuddin. Val Kilmer reprised his role as Tom "Iceman" Kazansky.
Studio Statements and Context
Paramount CEO David Ellison, whose company Skydance produced Top Gun: Maverick, has previously commented on the franchise's importance to the studio.
- Ellison has stated that Top Gun: Maverick was important to Paramount and that a future sequel would be a significant part of the studio's theatrical release plans.
- In previous remarks, Ellison identified the project as a top priority and stated he would continue to work with Tom Cruise as long as the actor wanted to collaborate. The two have made ten films together.
Related Presentation Details
Tom Cruise did not appear on stage for the Top Gun announcement but participated in Paramount's CinemaCon presentation through a pre-recorded video.
- The video was directed by Jon M. Chu and filmed on the Paramount Pictures studio lot, including its iconic water tower.
- The segment featured Cruise providing voiceover narration that highlighted the studio's film history and legacy.
- The video concluded with Cruise stating, "The future looks pretty great from here."