Published on
17/04/2026 – 9:22 GMT+2
Tom Cruise is returning for Top Gun 3, Paramount announced during its CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas.
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It will be the sequel to Joseph Kosinski’s 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, which became a blockbuster hit when many theaters were still closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It grossed $1.5 billion at the global box office from a $170 million budget.
Cruise returned for Top Gun: Maverick 36 years after he debuted as Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in the 1986 original.
The news of a third instalment is hardly surprising, as it was reportedly in the works since 2024. However, the official go-ahead from Paramount confirms that its 63-year-old star will be back, as well as the return of Jerry Bruckheimer as producer. Director Joseph Kosinski is yet to sign on.
Paramount is set acquire Warner Bros in a $111bn deal, with Top Gun 3 to exist under the new larger company.
The merger is a controversial deal, with many celebrities speaking out against it and David Ellison’s plans.
“We are deeply concerned by indications of support for this merger that prioritize the interests of a small group of powerful stakeholders over the broader public good,” states a recent published open letter, available on the website BlocktheMerger.com. “The integrity, independence, and diversity of our industry would be grievously compromised. Competition is essential for a healthy economy and a healthy democracy. So is thoughtful regulation and enforcement.”
The letter, signed by more than 1,000 film and TV stars and creatives, including Joaquin Phoenix, Jane Fonda, Bryan Cranston, Javier Bardem, David Fincher, Denis Villeneuve and Emma Thompson, argues that “media consolidation has already weakened one of America’s most vital global industries – one that has long shaped culture and connected people around the world.”
During Paramount’s presentation this week, Ellison reiterated his aim to release 30 movies a year under the Paramount-Warner banner. Other films mentioned in the upcoming slate include Taylor Sheridan’s Call of Duty adaptation, Damien Chazelle’s new film starring Cillian Murphy, and a new horror film in the Longlegs universe.
Cruise will next be seen in Digger, the new film from Oscar winner Alejandro G Iñárritu. Co-starring Sandra Hüller, Jesse Plemons and Riz Ahmed, the satirical black comedy centers on the most powerful man in the world, who races to prove he is humanity’s savior before the disaster he unleashed destroys everything. It is set to hit theatres on 2 October 2026.