LOS ANGELES, CA – Tom Cruise, who recently signed a non-exclusive contract with Warner Bros, is also making moves with Paramount. Reports have surfaced indicating that Paramount is developing a third installment of the popular Top Gun franchise. The script for the film is currently being written by Ehren Kruger, who co-wrote Top Gun: Maverick.
Sources suggest that the project could reunite Cruise with Top Gun: Maverick cast members Miles Teller and Glen Powell, as well as producers Jerry Bruckheimer and David Ellison. Joe Kosinski, who directed Maverick, is expected to either direct or produce the third film.
Cruise is currently shooting Mission: Impossible 8 for Paramount, while also working on an outer space movie with Nasa for Universal, directed by Doug Liman.
Prior to this announcement, there were rumors that Cruise was eyeing Top Gun 3 as his next project after Mission: Impossible 8. However, due to the recent deal with Warner Bros, it may be a challenge for Cruise to move forward with anything at that studio for the next couple of years.
Top Gun: Maverick, released in 2023, became Cruise’s highest-grossing movie of all time, raking in $1.49 billion at the box office. The film won an Oscar for Best Sound and was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
What’s particularly notable about this news is that David Ellison’s Skydance, which is currently pursuing an all-cash bid to acquire National Amusements, was one of the producers of Top Gun: Maverick. National Amusements holds almost 80% of Paramount shares and plays a crucial role in any potential merger or acquisition. It’s worth mentioning that Larry Ellison, Oracle founder and father of David Ellison, is one of the backers of the bid by Skydance. The elder Ellison co-financed Top Gun: Maverick and shared in the net profit of $391 million generated by the sequel.
Paramount has not yet commented on the development of Top Gun 3.
To recap, Tom Cruise is reportedly working on a third Top Gun film with Paramount. The project would involve key cast members from Top Gun: Maverick and reunite Cruise with producers Jerry Bruckheimer and David Ellison. Cruise is currently busy filming Mission: Impossible 8, while also collaborating with Universal on an outer space movie directed by Doug Liman. Top Gun: Maverick, released in 2023, was Cruise’s highest-grossing film ever, earning $1.49 billion and receiving numerous accolades, including an Oscar for Best Sound.