This past week, Paramount announced a sequel to Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick at CinemaCon. And while there were plenty of fans excited about the idea of a Top Gun 3, there were also those who felt that another sequel wasn’t necessary. Regardless, it’s “in the works”, as they told audiences at the trade show. The only problem now is that Joseph Kosinski, the director who helped turn Top Gun: Maverick into a $1.4 billion monster, might not be returning.
Reports have revealed that a script from Ehren Kruger and Christopher McQuarrie is nearly completed, and that Cruise would return again as Pete Mitchell, the stubborn pilot who showed up in the 1986 and 2022 films.
While the first film was directed by the legendary Tony Scott, the sequel fell into the hands of Kosinski, who was most famously known for his work on Oblivion and Tron: Legacy at the time. Since then, he’s gone on to create other great films, including rebooting Twister and, of course, Apple’s F1 starring Brad Pitt.
And the main reason he might not return for Top Gun 3 isn’t creative differences but rather scheduling. Kosinski is super busy right now. He’s booked for years to come. In fact, he is currently working on an upcoming UFO film project for Apple, a reboot of Miami Vice for Universal, and a few other blockbusters. That means he barely has time to take on the 3rd instalment in the action-packed aviation franchise.
Right now, Paramount and Jerry Bruckheimer are talking to new directors (via PuckNews), hoping to find someone with the talent to take on the huge franchise.
Tom Cruise is now 63 years old, and while there was talk about him focusing on more character-driven drama work, it seems like the action films always call him back. And rightly so. His career has impressed many big filmmakers, with many saying that he’s one of the last true Hollywood stars. In fact, one could argue that Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick actually saved cinema after the pandemic. It was one of the first films to have a huge gross at the box office after movie theaters were forced to close down in 2020.
Miles Teller and Glen Powell are also expected to return for Top Gun 3. Let’s hope it soars past expectations, too.
