Top Gun 2 Gets Director And A Release Date

Apparently movie audiences still feel the need, the need for speed in the form of aerial combat pilots returning for Top Gun 2.  News of the sequel has been kicking around development hell for the better part of 2 years, never really going away but never really moving forward other than Tom Cruise saying “it’s happening”.

Earlier this year on an Australian morning show, Cruise announced the sequel was DEFINITELY happening, that it had a title, and was moving at the same breakneck pace his character Maverick flew his fighter jet at.

Today, Paramount announced director Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy) is on board. Kosinski and Cruise previously worked together on the 2013 sci fi action drama Oblivion, which while not anything ‘new’, was beautiful in it’s scope.  It’s also one of the better modern Cruise roles (but totally not better than Live, Die, Repeat although in the same vein), so hopefully Joe can bring something of the old Mav out.

We also know that Peter Craig and Justin Marks are on board to write the script along with Ashley E. Miller and Zack Stentz, the latter pair behind such notable projects as Thor, X-Men: First Class and the upcoming Big Trouble In Little China remake.

Top Gun first roared into theaters in 1986, and was directed by Tony Scott (brother of Ridley Scott) who tragically decided to end his life early after a terrible cancer prognosis.  His work was always good, cut clean, and his absence will be keenly felt in this sequel.

Other notable personalties who are currently clamoring to be a part of Top Gun: Maverick include The Iceman himself, Val Kilmer.  Not quite a bad guy but most assuredly an antagonist in the first film, Kilmer took to twitter to post this imagine with a pretty telling caption:

Still got it… just sayin… pic.twitter.com/AYce5noIDY

— Val Kilmer (@valkilmer) June 7, 2017

Looking good, former Batman, looking good!

Various rumors have swirled as to what the subject matter of the film might be, the most popular being that an older Maverick is still working with the Navy, but helping train the younger generation in his style of flight even though the world of drone warfare is alive and well.  Could make for a brilliant comedy, but hopefully we’ll be getting another slick summer action film like the original.

Top Gun: Maverick is set to open on July 12th, 2019.