Paramount has reportedly enlisted Ehren Kruger and Joe Kosinski to write and direct a third film in the Top Gun saga. Details regarding the direction of the plot remain under wraps, but Brent Lang of Variety notes Miles Tiller and Glen Powell could “potentially” reprise their roles. However, it remains unclear if Tom Cruise, who starred in the first two films as Pete Mitchell, would return in any capacity.
Top Gun, starring Cruise, Kelly McGillis and Val Kilmer, debuted in 1986. With a budget of less than $20 million, the action drama generated more than $350 million at the box office and became a fan favorite. More recently, a Cruise-led sequel called Top Gun: Maverick debuted in theaters during Memorial Day Weekend in 2022. Cruise, Kilmer, McGillis, Ed Harris and John Hamm reprised their roles from the original alongside a new cast of characters, including Teller, Powell, Jennifer Connelly, Jay Ellis and Monic Barbaro. Similar to the original, the sequel was a massive success at the box office, generating $1.4 billion on a budget less than $200 million.
“Maverick is truly one for the ages in its deliverance of a distilled summer blockbuster whose thrills are strong enough to inspire highs totally indistinguishable from narcotics. Beware, and welcome to the Danger Zone,” Eric Francisco of Inverse wrote.
Ultimately, the film went on to win one Academy Award and earn an additional five nominations. As it piled up awards and praise, Teller said that he was interested in creating a sequel wrapped around his character, Rooster.
“That would be great, but that’s all up to TC,” he said.
“It’s all up to Tom. I’ve been having some conversations with him about it. We’ll see.”
More than a year later, it appears Teller is on his way to transforming conversations with Cruise into a feature film.
