It's time to return to the danger zone.
A third "Top Gun" film has officially been confirmed, withTom Cruiseset to return.
The news was announced at Paramount's presentation during the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas on April 16, with Paramount Pictures Co-Chair Josh Greenstein revealing the sequel is "in development with a script underway, reuniting Tom Cruise and [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer,"according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Reports firstswirled in early 2024that a third "Top Gun" film was in the works coming off the rousing success of the second installment, "Top Gun: Maverick." Cruise reprised his role of daring pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in the 2022 hit, a long-awaited follow-up to the original 1986 blockbuster.
Grossing $1.5 billion worldwide, "Maverick" provided a shot in the arm to movie theaters in 2022 amid their recovery from COVID-19 closures, and it stands as thefifth-highest grossing film of all timeat the domestic box office. It also received six Academy Award nominations, including best picture, and won the Oscar for best sound.
I went 'Maverick' in Tom Cruise's'Top Gun' training plane and didn't eject my lunch
The rest of the cast of "Top Gun 3" hasn't been confirmed, though "Maverick" introduced a new set of stars who could be back, includingMiles Teller,Glen Powell,Lewis PullmanandMonica Barbaro. In 2024, Powellsuggested he wouldreprise his role and even cryptically hinted he knew when filming would start.
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(L-R) Tom Hanks and Tim Allen attend the Walt Disney Studios presentation at Cinemacon 2026 on April 16, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.
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Actor Johnny Depp promotes the upcoming film "Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol" during the Paramount Pictures presentation at CinemaCon at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 16, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nev.
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The biggest names in Hollywood are unveiling their buzzy new movies at CinemaCon 2026, the Las Vegas convention for theater owners, starting with Steven Spielberg.
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The filmmaker was on hand to promote "Disclosure Day."
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Colman Domingo ("Disclosure Day").
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Robert De Niro (left) and Ben Stiller promote their upcoming film "Focker In-Law." .
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Robert De Niro
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Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller.
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Ben Stiller
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Rapper Snoop Dogg revealed a biopic of his life is coming to theaters in 2027.
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Snoop Dogg
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Snoop Dogg
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Jonathan Daviss will star as Snoop Dogg.
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Filmmaker Christopher Nolan hyped his upcoming movie "The Odyssey."
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Jack Black celebrated the success of "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie."
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Jack Black
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Nicole Kidman (left) and Sandra Bullock were on hand to talk up "Practical Magic 2."
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Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock.
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Jason Momoa drove Lobo's motorcycle out on stage for "Supergirl."
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Jason Momoa (from left), Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya take a selfie.
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Zendaya
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Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya were on hand for "Dune 3."
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Milly Alcock ("Supergirl")
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Tom Cruise (left) and Jason Momoa.
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Nicole Kidman
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Sandra Bullock
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Tom Cruise promotes his upcoming movie "Digger."
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Tom Cruise
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DC superhero stars Jason Momoa and Milly Alcock.
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Jason Momoa (from left), Craig Gillespie, Milly Alcock and Peter Safran.
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Tom Cruise (left) and "Digger" director/writer Alejandro González Iñárritu.
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J.J. Abrams (left) greets Tom Cruise.
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Adam Scott promotes his upcoming film "Hokum."
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Eli Roth poses in front of an ice cream truck as he promotes his upcoming film "Ice Cream Man."
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LaKeith Stanfield (left) and Boots Riley were on hand to tout "I Love Boosters."
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Buddy the dog turned out in support of "Air Bud Returns."
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Patton Oswalt
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Meredith Salenger
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The stars of "Jumanji 3" (from left): Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson and Jack Black.
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Dwayne Johnson
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Jack Black (left) and Dwayne Johnson promote "Jumanji: The Final Level" during the Sony presentation.
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Mandy Moore and Nate Bargatze ("The Breadwinner")
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Mandy Moore and Nate Bargatze
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Mandy Moore
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Nate Bargatze
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Writer/director Aaron Sorkin ("The Social Reckoning")
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Tom Hanks, Robert Downey Jr., more CinemaCon stars reveal their new movies
A director for "Top Gun 3" also hasn't been announced. "Maverick" was helmed by Joseph Kosinski, who took over directing duties after original "Top Gun" director Tony Scott died in 2012.
Fans won't believeTom Cruise's new look in first 'Digger' footage
During a 2025 interview onthe "Happy Sad Confused" podcast, Christopher McQuarrie, who cowrote "Maverick" with Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer, confirmed a story idea was in place for "Top Gun 3," based on a pitch by Kruger.
"It's already in the bag," he said on the podcast. "I already know what it is. It wasn't hard. I thought it would be. And that's a good place to go from. You walk into the room going, 'Come on. What are we going to do?' And Ehren Kruger pitched something, and I went, 'Mmm, actually...' And we had one conversation about it. The framework is there."
Cruise is set to return to the world of "Top Gun" after he seemingly closed the book on his other big action franchise, "Mission: Impossible," which released its supposedly last installment in 2025: "The Final Reckoning." The actor will next be seen "Digger," a dark comedy from Alejandro Iñárritu out this fall. While teasing the film at CinemaCon, Iñárritu said that "this role may be his most challenging."
Contributing: James Powel, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Top Gun 3' with Tom Cruise announced at CinemaCon
