Top Gun 2 Crashes While Its Predecessor Gets A 3D Release Date

Last August, the film industry was robbed of one of its greatest action film icons in the wake of the tragic suicide of director/producer Tony Scott. Since then, we haven’t heard any concrete news on the various projects he was involved in, namely Top Gun 2, until today that is.

According to The New York Times, Top Gun 2, the sequel to the 1986 hit that was being developed by Scott and original Top Gun star Tom Cruise, is pretty much scrapped. While there was steady progress on the development of the film, including scouting filming locations and script development, in the wake of Scott’s death the project has broken down.

Though the article doesn’t mention any concrete reasons why the studio is hesitant to develop Top Gun 2, it seems pretty obvious. It was Tony Scott who was the main driving force behind a Top Gun sequel and to do the film without him involved may be in poor taste; especially since Scott was keen to direct the sequel to his eighties action hit himself.

Another project that Scott was heavily involved in, the 3D conversion of the original Top Gun, has been completed and studios are trying to find a way to release the film without being insensitive. Previously, the idea was to release the original film in 3D to prime moviegoers for a sequel, but now with the sequel falling apart it’s become difficult to market the film properly.

Scott was very enthusiastic about the conversion, and the report states that there’s a strong possibility that Paramount will release Top Gun 3D in February, or at a later date next year. However, the purpose of releasing the original in 3D will be lost if the sequel doesn’t move forward, and so the studio is considering all possibilities before making a firm decision.

A part of me would have enjoyed seeing Top Gun 2 (and possibly a Top Gun 3), but I don’t know how invested I would be in a sequel without Scott at the helm. Then again, if done properly and developed in a way that matched Scott’s vision for the film, it could become a fitting tribute.

Would you see a Top Gun 2 without Scott involved? How about Top Gun 3D? Let us know in the comments below.