Paramount Studios announces Top Gun 3 as its top priority

Paramount Studios has made it official: Top Gun 3 is now their number one priority. The announcement comes on the heels of the 2022 hit Top Gun: Maverick, which became the studio’s highest-grossing film ever and one of the biggest earners worldwide. The decision is also tied to the recent Paramount–Skydance merger, a partnership that played a huge role in the last film’s success.

At a press event in Los Angeles, new Paramount CEO David Ellison said,

“One of our biggest priorities is restoring Paramount as the No. 1 studio for filmmakers and talent in the world. Great filmmakers make great movies. For us, we’re going to strategically scale the amount of content for our streaming service as well as studios.”

In other words, they’re not just making more films; they’re making sure big, bankable projects like Top Gun 3 get top billing.

The studio is already moving pieces into place. Ehren Kruger, who co-wrote Top Gun: Maverick, is back on board to write the script. Talks are underway to bring back familiar faces from the last film, and Joseph Kosinski, who directed Maverick, is expected to return to the director’s chair.

Behind the Scenes

Right now, Top Gun 3 is still in the writing stage. Ehren Kruger is shaping the story, aiming to keep the same tone and style that worked so well in the last film. Joseph Kosinski is in line to direct again, which means audiences can probably expect the same mix of high-flying action and personal stakes that defined Maverick.

No filming date has been announced yet, but the project is high on the studio’s to-do list. It’s also part of a larger plan to fast-track big franchise projects while keeping creative continuity.

Who’s coming back in Top Gun 3?

Tom Cruise will once again step into the role of Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Miles Teller, who played Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, and Glen Powell, who played Jake “Hangman” Seresin, are also in talks to return. These characters were central to Maverick’s story and helped carry the emotional weight of the film.

Paramount’s goal is to keep the key cast together while expanding the story in new directions. Final casting details will come once all contracts and schedules are worked out.

Why this matters to Paramount

The studio’s choice to focus on Top Gun 3 ties directly to its post-merger strategy with Skydance.

Dana Goldberg made it clear during the press event:

“Top Gun is a priority for us.”

The numbers speak for themselves: Top Gun: Maverick earned $1.29 billion in the U.S. and $2.6 billion worldwide. Those results made it clear that the franchise is one of Paramount’s strongest assets. AMC Theatres CEO Adam Aron summed it up from an exhibitor’s perspective:

“It appears to us that Skydance is cash rich, and it would be our expectation that Skydance will be releasing more movies coming out of Paramount than Paramount has been releasing in recent years.”

What’s next?

There’s no official release date for Top Gun 3 yet. The film’s timeline will depend partly on Tom Cruise’s other projects, including work with Mission: Impossible director Christopher McQuarrie.

Once the cast is locked in and the script is finalized, production is expected to be a major undertaking, especially if the filmmakers continue their commitment to real aerial sequences and large-scale action.

For now, the project is in early development, but Paramount’s leadership has made one thing clear: Maverick will fly again, and when he does, they want it to be one of the biggest theatrical events on the calendar.