It’s languished on the fringes of development for years, spouting nine kinds of rumors and speculation as to whether Tom Cruise would ever suit up once again as the best-in-class Naval aviator, Lt. Pete Mitchell. But at long last, Top Gun 2 has been cleared for takeoff, and it’ll arrive bearing the title Top Gun: Maverick.
Story-wise, we understand that the pic will tackle the technological clash between fighter pilots and drones, with the new technologies on the verge of rendering the human pilot obsolete. Naturally, this is bad for Maverick, who lives for the thrill of soaring through the skies and engaging in thrilling dogfights. Plot details beyond that remain scarce, but with the sequel now gearing up to enter production, the cast is beginning to fill up.
Case in point: Deadline brings word tonight that Jon Hamm, Ed Harris and Lewis Pullman have all signed on for Top Gun: Maverick in undisclosed roles. They’ll join the aforementioned Cruise along with Val Kilmer, Glen Powell, Jennifer Connelly and Miles Teller. Impressive cast, eh?
This may seem like an odd time to finally deliver a follow-up to the 32-year-old box office smash, but late director Tony Scott, who was offered the project prior to his death in 2012, saw the new world of the 2010s as an opportunity to try something different from his previous hit. Now, Joseph Kosinksi, who worked with Cruise on Oblivion, will tackle the pic, with a script from Eric Singer (American Hustle), Justin Marks (The Jungle Book), and Peter Craig (both parts of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay). But if you’re looking for some more returning names from the first film, Harold Faltermeyer is composing the score and will hopefully be bringing a large helping of nostalgia.
The first Top Gun was the highest-grossing release of 1986, but will audiences still flock to theaters for more of this world and these characters? We’ll find out when Top Gun: Maverick flies into cinemas on July 12th, 2019.