Top Gun 3 gets an exciting new update from returning director Joseph Kosinski, who addresses the script status and the story ideas that are in place. Coming 36 years after the original Top Gun, 2022’s Maverick featured Tom Cruise back as the тιтular fighter pilot, this time to train a new batch of recruits for a dangerous mission. The film was a major hit critically and commercially, and Top Gun 3 was subsequently confirmed to be in development, with Kosinski returning and Cruise expected to reprise his role as Maverick for a third outing.
In a recent interview with ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan for F1: The Movie, which hits theaters on June 27, Kosinski reveals that Top Gun 3 is still in the script stage, with screenwriter Ehren Kruger currently hard at work. While Kosinski doesn’t reveal any specifics about what’s to come for Maverick or any other potential returning pilots, he does tease that the new story is a “big idea.” Check out his comment below:
Ehren Kruger is writing the script as we speak. It’s a big idea that I spent almost a year developing — working with some friends at the Navy and Lockheed. And yeah, Ehren’s into it now, so we’ll see how it comes along.
Touching on why he’s returning to the franchise once more after Maverick felt like such a perfect final note for the franchise, Kosinski stresses that what they have planned is “so ambitious” that he couldn’t stay away:
It was about coming up with an idea that — again — felt like a new challenge. Something that opens up the story in a way you just can’t let go. And I think the idea is so ambitious. That’s what’s exciting to me.
What Kosinski’s Update Means For Top Gun 3
When The Film Could Release
With work still ongoing on the script, it may still be quite some time before viewers get to see what’s next for Cruise’s character after the Top Gun: Maverick ending. It could be many months before the script is in good enough shape for the film to actually move forward. Once the script is ready and deals are closed for Cruise and returning cast members like Glen Powell and Miles Teller, it will be scheduling that determines when filming can begin. If, for example, filming were to start late next year, Top Gun 3 could arrive in 2027 or 2028.
Cruise’s busy schedule – and the schedules of other Top Gun: Maverick cast members – will impact the release timeline. In addition to a collaboration with director Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Cruise has several other movies in the works. This includes a Doug Liman movie called Deeper, which follows an astronaut who has a terrifying encounter while on a deep sea dive, in addition to a World War II film called Broadsword, which will reunite the star with frequent collaborator Christopher McQuarrie. Cruise is also set to work with Liman on a movie that will film in outer space.
Our Take On Kosinski’s Top Gun 3 Update
The Movie Will Be Worth The Wait After Maverick
Top Gun: Maverick reviews were glowing, and the film not only presented aerial action in a novel way, but delivered an emotional story for Maverick. Even though it’s now been three years since the film hit theaters, it’s for the best that the creative team is taking their time with Top Gun 3. Hopefully, this means the next film will be just as thrilling as Maverick is.
On Rotten Tomatoes, Top Gun: Maverick has a 96% critics’ score and a rare 99% audience score.
It’s not clear where the story will go after the most recent sequel, but Kosinski’s comment certainly suggests that audiences can expect some exciting changes. The major challenge, of course, will be giving Cruise’s character another sendoff that feels just as satisfying without just hitting those same beats a second time. Many questions remain about Top Gun 3, but progress is clearly happening behind the scenes.
