‘Top Gun 2’ Details: Tom Cruise To Return As Maverick, Script In Development

by Olivia Truffaut-WongJune 30, 2015, 6:37 pmNews >

Top Gun 2 is a go, and returning star Tom Cruise is set to headline the film, which will focus on drone warfare.

Top Gun 2 To Focus On Drone Warefare

Top Gun 2 has become somewhat legend over the past few years, as the rumored sequel to 1986’s Top Gun entered development phase and apparently got stuck there. Originally, the sequel was meant to star a completely new cast, with Cruise returning for a small cameo. Now, the reboot/sequel has a new writer, Justin Marks, and will be centered around Cruise’s daring fighter pilot character, Maverick.

During the press tour for Terminator Genisys, Skydance CEO David Ellison and CCO Dana Goldberg were asked about the status of Top Gun 2, and they revealed that Marks was in the midst of writing the film. “Justin Marks is writing the screenplay right now. He has a phenomenal take to really update that world for what fighter pilots in the Navy has turned into today,” Ellison said.

Ellison confirmed that Cruise’s Maverick would play a key part in the new film, adding, “There is an amazing role for Maverick in the movie and there is no Top Gun without Maverick, and it is going to be Maverick playing Maverick.”

Ellison and Goldberg stated that they hoped to begin production on the film soon, but, with the script still being written, most details about the film have yet to be set in stone, including casting. Whatever the plot entails, one thing is certain: with Cruise on board, the film will be full of practical effects and stunts. “As everyone knows with Tom, he is 100% going to want to be in those airplanes shooting it practically,” Ellison said.

The film will pick up around 30 years after the original Top Gun, in keeping with the actual number of years that have gone by since its release, and promises to deal with the realities of modern warfare. “This world has not been explored. It is very much a world we live in today where it’s drone technology and fifth generation fighters are really what the United States Navy is calling the last man-made fighter that we’re actually going to produce so it’s really exploring the end of an era of dogfighting and fighter pilots and what that culture is today are all fun things that we’re gonna get to dive into [this] movie,” Ellison said.

Top Gun 2 Still In Early Development

Fans eager for a Top Gun 2 might want to keep their excitement levels low for now. Despite the release of new plot details , Skydance representative Joy Fehily released a statement to clarify that no deals have been made. “Skydance is simply at the development stage for Top Gun 2. We do not have any cast deals completed at this time,” Fehily told USA Today.

Marks, who is reportedly writing the Top Gun 2 script, has not responded to the reports of the sequel, but his most recent tweet suggests Top Gun 2 is farther from becoming a reality than Ellison and Goldberg want fans to think it is. “I like internet outrage to things no one said were going to happen. Like remaking BACK TO THE FUTURE,” he tweeted on June 30, following the Top Gun 2 reports.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.