'Top Gun 3' announced at Cinemacon with Tom Cruise returning
Great balls of fire! "Top Gun 3" is on the way.
During Paramount's CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas on Thursday, it was revealed that a third film in the blockbuster franchise is coming, with Tom Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer both returning.
CinemaCon shared the news in a post on X.
ABC News has reached out to Paramount Pictures and CinemaCon for comment.
"Top Gun 3" will serve as a follow-up to the Joseph Kosinski-directed "Top Gun: Maverick," which premiered in 2022.
Cruise, who starred in the 2022 film, reprised his role as Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell from the 1986 film "Top Gun," which introduced audiences to the world of fighter pilots.
In the first "Top Gun" film, Maverick is sent to the Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School, where he trains to refine his flying skills.
The film starred Val Kilmer as Lt. Tom "Iceman" Kazansky, Anthony Edwards as Lt. j.g. Nick "Goose" Bradshaw, Tom Skerritt as Cmdr. Mike "Viper" Metcalf, Meg Ryan as Goose's wife Carole, and Kelly McGillis as Charlie Blackwood.
"Top Gun: Maverick" served as a follow-up to "Top Gun" and centered around Maverick confronting his past while training a group of younger Top Gun graduates, including the son of his late best friend, for a dangerous mission.
The 2022 film starred Cruise, Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly as bar owner Penny Benjamin, Miles Teller as Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Goose's son), Glen Powell as Lt. Jake "Hangman" Seresin, Jon Hamm as Vice Adm. Beau "Cyclone" Simpson, Bashir Salahuddin as Chief Warrant Officer Bernie "Hondo" Coleman, Monica Barbaro as Lt. Natasha "Phoenix" Trace, Jay Ellis as Lt. Reuben "Payback" Fitch and more.
While Cruise was not onstage to help reveal the news about "Top Gun 3" this week, he made an appearance on April 14 at the Warner Bros. presentation to share a sneak peek of his upcoming film "Digger," directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu.
