Paramount Pictures has officially confirmed that a third instalment in the Top Gun franchise is in development, with a script currently being written. The announcement was made during the studio's CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas on Thursday. Tom Cruise is expected to reprise his role as Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer is also returning.
The sequel to the 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, which grossed $1.49 billion worldwide and earned six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, will be penned by Ehren Kruger, who also wrote the previous film. Director Joseph Kosinski has not yet been confirmed for the project.
Top Gun: Maverick followed Maverick as he returned to the Top Gun flight school to train a new generation of pilots, including Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw, the son of his late friend Goose. The film was a critical and commercial success, winning the Oscar for Best Sound.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has emphasised the importance of the franchise to the studio's future theatrical slate. No release date or plot details have been announced, but speculation among fans includes potential storylines involving missions in Iran or a rescue operation in Siberia.
