Production of Top Gun 3 remains on hold while Tom Cruise focuses on his upcoming Days of Thunder sequel. Miles Teller, who starred as Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw in 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, confirmed that while there is excitement about reprising roles, the project must wait for Cruise’s current filming schedule.
Tom Cruise Delays Franchise Progress to Race Cars
Paramount Pictures officially announced that a third installment of the franchise is in development following the massive success of Top Gun: Maverick (2022), which surpassed $1.4 billion at the global box office. The 2022 film became the actor’s highest-grossing movie and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Despite this, Miles Teller noted during a November 4 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that the film’s progress is tethered to Cruise’s immediate commitments.
Tom, I think he’s said the next thing he’s doing is he’s going to race some cars, that’s Days of Thunder. And then I hope he wants to fly some planes, too, ’cause we would love to do it.
Cruise, who previously starred in the original 1986 Top Gun, confirmed last May that he was working on both a new Top Gun film and a follow-up to his early hit, Days of Thunder. Paramount officially announced the Days of Thunder sequel in August.
Writers Finish Story While Casting Remains Uncertain
While a production timeline remains unannounced, the creative framework for the next Top Gun installment is already underway. Christopher McQuarrie, who co-wrote the 2022 sequel, stated in May that he and writer Ehren Kruger had the story for the third film already in the bag.
Paramount executives first confirmed the project was in active development during CinemaCon in April. The ensemble cast for the previous film included Glen Powell, Jay Ellis, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, Manny Jacinto, Danny Ramirez, and Greg Tarzan Davis, alongside Teller and Cruise.
Cast Involvement and Mentorship
Teller’s own participation in the upcoming film has not been finalized, though he expressed enthusiasm for the project, noting that everybody’s really excited
about the possibility of reprising their roles. During his television appearance, the actor addressed questions regarding whether he had heard specific details about the script or if he was officially signed on, though he did not provide a definitive confirmation of his involvement.
Miles Teller praised Tom Cruise for his mentorship and revealed how the Hollywood star remains accessible while discussing the future of 'Top Gun 3.' https://t.co/WT1w1hhQWw
Reflecting on his relationship with Cruise, Teller described the star as a significant influence on the set. The actor noted that the enthusiasm for the franchise is mutual between the lead star and his co-stars.
Tom is very gracious and he was the closest thing to a mentor that I think a lot of us ever had in this business, and he’s always available. I’ve had to hang up on Tom because he’s so excited, he really is so invested.
