Paramount Pictures confirmed on Thursday at CinemaCon in Las Vegas that a script is being written for Top Gun 3, with Tom Cruise set to reprise his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell and Jerry Bruckheimer returning as producer.
The announcement formalizes development that had been reported since 2024, when Ehren Kruger was first attached to write the sequel. Kruger co-wrote Top Gun: Maverick with Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie.
Top Gun: Maverick grossed $1.5 billion worldwide from a $170 million budget, becoming the highest-grossing film of Cruise’s career and a critical success with six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and a win for Best Sound.
Cruise, now 63, first played the character in Tony Scott’s 1986 original and returned 36 years later for the 2022 sequel. His character went back to the Navy’s Fighter Weapons School to train a new generation of pilots, including Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, portrayed by Miles Teller, the son of his late friend Nick “Goose” Bradshaw.
The 2022 film featured an ensemble of emerging actors such as Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Danny Ramirez, and Jay Ellis, alongside returning stars Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, and Ed Harris. It also marked the final on-screen appearance of Val Kilmer as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky; Kilmer died in 2025.
Director Joseph Kosinski, who helmed Top Gun: Maverick, has not yet signed on to direct the third film, according to The Guardian. Bruckheimer said in 2024 that although Cruise liked the story pitched to him, scheduling conflicts due to the actor’s busy calendar remain a hurdle.
Cruise himself acknowledged the complexity of developing a follow-up, saying in 2023 that it took him 35 years to perceive ready to revisit the franchise after the original, and that the team is exploring multiple story possibilities, including potential ties to Days of Thunder.
The sequel has gained urgency within Paramount’s strategic plans. CEO David Ellison emphasized its importance after the studio’s 2025 merger with Skydance and reiterated it during the CinemaCon presentation, where he also announced Paramount’s pending $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, under which Top Gun 3 would fall.
Ellison further stated his goal to release 30 films annually under the combined Paramount-Warner banner, citing upcoming projects such as Scary Movie 7, Taylor Sheridan’s Call of Duty adaptation, Damien Chazelle’s new film starring Cillian Murphy, and a horror installment in the Longlegs universe.
Cruise’s next confirmed project after Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two is Digger, a dark comedy directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, in which he plays a billionaire responsible for an environmental disaster. The film was previewed at CinemaCon, where attendees noted his dramatic physical transformation for the role.
Is Joseph Kosinski returning to direct Top Gun 3?
No, Joseph Kosinski has not yet signed on to direct the third film, though he directed Top Gun: Maverick and remains involved in early discussions.
Will any cast members from Top Gun: Maverick return besides Tom Cruise?
>As of the CinemaCon announcement, no other returning cast members have been confirmed beyond Tom Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
How does the Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition affect Top Gun 3?
Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery means Top Gun 3 will be produced and distributed under the newly combined company, which Paramount CEO David Ellison said will aim to release 30 films per year.
