“Top Gun 3” moved a step closer to the flight deck after writer-producer Christopher McQuarrie told Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast that the sequel’s plot “is already in the bag,” crediting co-writer Ehren Kruger with cracking the framework in a single meeting. The revelation follows Tom Cruise’s on-air comments in Australia that he and McQuarrie are “looking at several ideas” for the franchise’s next chapter.
Despite strong creative momentum, Paramount has yet to issue a green-light, a caution underscored by producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who warned fans that scheduling around Cruise’s other commitments could delay take-off. Even so, an untitled third Top Gun remains listed on Paramount’s upcoming slate alongside Skydance Media, signaling corporate intent once Cruise’s calendar clears.
McQuarrie confirmed the pair are also in “serious conversations” about a follow-up to Tony Scott’s 1990 NASCAR drama Days of Thunder, talks Cruise publicly acknowledged during last weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 festivities in Charlotte. NASCAR executives are said to be keen on the project, viewing it as a high-profile marketing windfall in the sport’s 2027 broadcast-rights cycle.
Any timeline must accommodate Cruise’s ongoing work on Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and McQuarrie’s separate screenplay duties, including a potential Les Grossman spin-off from Tropic Thunder. Industry analysts note that Paramount’s merger negotiations with Skydance could influence release strategy, as the studio weighs franchise continuity against a trimmed theatrical pipeline.
Analysts also point to Top Gun: Maverick’s $1.5 billion global haul as proof that theatrical appetite for Cruise-led spectacles remains robust, bolstering confidence that a third film will secure funding once script and schedule align.