Tom Cruise will return with 'Top Gun 3'
What's the story
Tom Cruise will be reprising his role as Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun 3, Paramount Pictures confirmed on Thursday. The announcement was made during the studio's CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas, where Paramount film co-head Josh Greenstein revealed that the third installment is "officially in development with a script well underway." He also confirmed that producer Jerry Bruckheimer will be returning for this sequel.
Presentation details
Cruise's recorded message opened the presentation
Despite not being physically present at the event, Cruise did narrate a film that opened the CinemaCon presentation. The film highlighted Paramount's commitment to theatrical releases. It featured Cruise sitting atop a water tower on the studio's lot, stating, "The future looks great from here."
Franchise history
'Top Gun' franchise's massive success
The original Top Gun film, released in 1986, was a major hit and became part of modern pop culture. It helped Cruise rise to superstardom. The sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, released in 2022, saw Cruise's character training younger pilots at the academy. Directed by Joseph Kosinski and featuring Val Kilmer alongside Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly, among others, it reportedly made close to $1.5 billion at the box office, becoming Cruise's biggest hit.