Top Gun: Maverick was a monster success in 2022. The Tom Cruise-led blockbuster did record breaking numbers at the box office, and the action film even landed a Best Picture nomination that year. It was a hit with audiences as well, and everyone seemed to love the sequel to the 1986 Tony Scott film. Plans for a Top Gun 3 seemed inevitable, and recent reports suggest that Paramount is moving forward officially with a Top Gun threequel. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer recently opened up about the film, revealing Cruise’s reaction to hearing the story idea for the film.
The legendary film producer recently spoke to ScreenRant about the studio’s plans for Top Gun 3, and how development on the film is progressing. The good news is that plans seem to be actively in motion, with Maverick director Joe Kosinski attached to direct again. As for Cruise’s response to hearing about the story plans for Top Gun 3, according to Bruckheimer, he said:
I really like that.
This is admittedly a very short response, and not much to go off of. But when it comes to making a Top Gun film, Cruise’s approval is everything. It took over 30 years to get Top Gun: Maverick off the ground because the Jerry Maguire star didn’t want to proceed until the script was just right. Cruise is also a major producer on the Top Gun films, so his opinion is incredibly important for the future of the franchise. Getting him to sign off on at least the story pitch is a really great sign for a script to finally be put together. Even with this good news, it still may be a while before we see Top Gun 3 on the big screen. Bruckheimer said of the film:
It will be Tom Cruise [leading the cast]. Tom is amazing. We spent time with him. We have a story. Joe Kosinski had a wonderful story idea for it, and [Tom] said, ‘I really like that,’ so we’re developing it. But you never know when it’s going to get made because Tom is so busy. He’s doing ‘Mission: Impossible’ right now, he’s got a picture after it. Hopefully, we’ll get a screenplay that he loves, and we’ll be back in the air again.
Bruckheimer is right to say that Mission: Impossible is a massive commitment for Cruise, especially in the most recent years. Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning Part 1 faced a number of delays due to a complex COVID production. Additionally, Mission: Impossible 8 had to stop filming due to the 2023 Actors and Writers strikes. As a result M:I 8 has also been delayed to 2025. In general, the Mission films are complicated productions with their complex action sequences, and logistics involved. With such an undertaking, Cruise pursuing a Top Gun 3 in tandem with M:I responsibilities feels almost, well, mission impossible.
However, this is great news regardless. With the main team behind Maverick back to work on Top Gun 3, and a strong Cruise-approved story in the works, Paramount seems to have all the tools for another hit on their hands. Glen Powell has expressed interest in returning to Top Gun when duty calls, and it seems like the other cast members are down for another high-flying adventure. Even if fans do have to wait for Cruise’s schedule to clear up, if Top Gun: Maverick was any indication, Top Gun 3 will be well worth the wait.
While fans wait for Top Gun 3 to eventually hit the big screen, they can revisit Tom Cruise’s adrenaline pumping performances in 1986’s Top Gun and 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, which are both now streaming for Paramount+ subscribers. For more information on other films heading to streaming and cinemas in the future, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule.