During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bruckheimer was asked about the possibility of Cruise reprising his role as Captain Pete Maverick Mitchell in another sequel. He responded, “He’s in the middle of shooting Mission: Impossible 8, and that’s his focus. Once he finishes, we can have a conversation. But then he goes up in space [for an untitled Universal movie] and something else. So, I have no idea.” The Bad Boys 3 producer was then asked if Top Gun: Maverick even needs a sequel. He then responded by saying that a similar argument was made for the original film. He said Cruise had told him and Paramount, before Top Gun: Maverick’s release, that they had to get any sequel right. The logic behind this is the fact that fans usually rave over sequels which fail if they [fans] do not connect with it. Bruckheimer then expressed the opinion that it’s essential to make all sequels feel right to the audience. Top Gun fans will find Bruckheimer’s comments disappointing as it basically confirms that the possibility of a sequel anytime soon is slim. However, it is the sad reality of things. Top Gun is an action-drama franchise based on the 1983 article by Ehus Yonay titled Top Gun. The original film was released in 1986 to mixed critical reviews. However, it was a box office success with a gross of $357.3 million against a $15 million budget. The film was also one of the first to demonstrate Cruise’s ability as an action star. The second film, Top Gun: Maverick, was released in 2022 to a better critical review and an even bigger commercial success. It grossed over $1.4 billion from a budget of $170 million to become Cruise’s highest-grossing film, as well as his first film to earn over $1 billion. It is also currently the highest-grossing film of 2022, although that might change with James Cameron’s Avatar sequel currently showing in cinemas. Cruise recently appreciated fans for their support of Maverick during a skydiving stunt for his next Mission Impossible flick. By the way, Cruise’s next film, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part One, is scheduled to release on July 14, 2023. Cruise is currently in the middle of filming Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning – Part Two, which has a tentative release date of June 28, 2024.
