Paramount Pictures is returning Top Gun to theaters on May 13 for a one-week run marking the film’s 40th anniversary, pairing the 1986 original with its 2022 sequel Top Gun: Maverick in a double feature. The announcement comes days after Paramount confirmed at CinemaCon that a third film in the franchise is officially in development.
The re-release marks the first time Top Gun will screen in IMAX, D-BOX, 4DX, and ScreenX formats, and will also play in Dolby Cinema. A free collector’s print will be available at the opening day event. Tom Cruise announced the run on social media, writing: “If you feel the need…Two films. One big screen. Back in theaters, May 13th, for one week only.”
This will mark Top Gun’s fourth major theatrical release in 40 years, following its original 1986 debut, a 3D re-release in 2013, and a pre-Maverick theatrical run in 2021. The film’s cumulative box office haul stands at $357 million. The original, directed by the late Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, opened on May 16, 1986 in New York — making the May 13 return date a near-perfect alignment with its original anniversary.
The timing carries strategic weight beyond nostalgia. The dual re-release underscores a commitment by Paramount CEO David Ellison to the theatrical experience as the studio awaits regulatory approval for its proposed merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. At CinemaCon, Ellison pledged that the combined studio would release a minimum of 30 films annually, each with at least a 45-day window before digital availability.
At CinemaCon on April 16, Paramount confirmed that Top Gun 3 is in active development, with Ehren Kruger writing the script. Tom Cruise is expected to return as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer is also back. No director or release date has been announced.
Top Gun: Maverick, directed by Joseph Kosinski, earned $1.49 billion worldwide and received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, winning for Best Sound. Its success transformed the franchise from a beloved relic into an active commercial cornerstone for Paramount — and the anniversary re-release signals the studio intends to keep that momentum building.
