New Writer Hired for ‘Top Gun 2’

Stuck in development hell for years and thought dead in the water several times (no pun intended – R.I.P. Goose), only to keep coming back to life, the long-awaited sequel to 1986’s blockbuster Top Gun just picked up some major momentum. As being reported exclusively by The Hollywood Reporter, Justin Marks – the writer being Disney’s new upcoming adaptation of The Jungle Book – is currently in negotiations to start work on the screenplay for Top Gun 2.

The most recent iteration of the script was written by Peter Craig (The Town), but after the tragic suicide of original director Tony Scott in 2012, the project was understandably put on an indefinite hold. Original super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer spent years across town at Disney but he’s now back at Paramount – the studio behind the original – and thus the project seems to be picking up serious steam. The basic plot is rumored to revolve around the idea of real-life pilots proving that they are more effective than 21st century drones.

Tom Cruise will of course be back to star as Maverick, the hot-shot pilot from the first movie that helped launch his career as a major movie star. Details on other roles have not been announced, though it’s a safe bet that one or more of the stars from the original – Val Kilmer, Tom Skerritt, Kelly McGillis, Tim Robbins, Meg Ryan – will find their way into the story for at least a cameo.

We’ll be following the progress of this movie closely, so stay tuned for more information as it comes.