Tom Cruise has officially confirmed thatTop Gun 2is happening, after years of speculation and rumors. It looks like the 54-year-old actor is eyeing thelong-awaited sequelas his next project and was getting things in line to make sure it is ready to go by the time he is done shootingMission: Impossible 6. Prior to leaving to shoot that movie, Cruise met with directors forTop Gun 2and found one he liked in the form of Joseph Kosinski, who is now the frontrunner for the job.
The news comes courtesy ofVariety, who are saying that Joseph Kosinski, who previously worked with Tom Cruise on the 2013 sci-fi movieOblivion, is the studio’s top choice forTop Gun 2, but they note that no official offer has been made yet. However, several insiders say that this is “imminent,” so unless something crazy happens, it looks like Kosinski is going to be the guy. Cruise recently got everyone excited about theTop Gun sequelwhile promoting his latest movie,The Mummy. On an Australian morning show, the actor confirmed thatTop Gun 2is a go and now it looks like things are getting serious. Here’s what Tom Cruise had to say about it on Sunrise On 7.
“Yes, it’s true. You know what, I’m going to start filming it, probably next year. I know, it’s happening. It is definitely happening. You’re the first people that I’ve said this to. You’ve asked me, and I’m telling you this is going to happen.”
No other details aboutTop Gun 2were revealed by Tom Cruise at the time, but Paramount and Skydance pictures are ready to go and are getting things together as we speak. Unfortunately, originalTop Gundirector Tony Scott died of suicide in 2012, so he won’t be around to have any creative input on the sequel.The Jungle Book’s Justin Markspenned the latest draft of the screenplay, but there is no word on if the studio is going to be doing another draft or if his version is the one that got the go-ahead. Either way, this long-gestating project has some serious steam behind it now and is looking to shoot next year.
As far as Joseph Kosinski goes, he may not be the most experienced director working in Hollywood, but it was reportedly his pitch and vision forTop Gun 2that won him the job. His previous movie with Tom Cruise,Oblivion, wasn’t a major commercial success and is one of just three feature-length movies the director has tackled. He also helmed 2010’sTron: Legacyfor Disney and the upcomingGranite Mountain, which is due out later this year. Beyond that, his schedule is clear, so it looks like there is nothing in the way of him locking down theTop Gun 2job, unless something falls apart. But with Tom Cruise publicly declaring that the movie is happening, it seems more than likely to be real this time.
Outside of Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer is rumored to be coming back asIce Man, but no other cast members have been set. The originalTop Gunis an80s classicand is one of the movies that helped cement Cruise as a bonafide movie star.Top Gunwas released in 1986 and grossed $356 million at the box office, making it an absolutely massive hit at the time. Even by today’s standards, that isn’t half bad. We will be sure to keep you up to date as more details onTop Gun 2are made available.
