There Could Be a Top Gun 3, According to Director, But Do We Actually Need It?
After Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel of the original 1986 movie about a NAVY pilot starring Tom Cruise, has taken the world by storm, the film's director has said there could be the third installment of the franchise.
"Is there's another story that is compelling enough that we need to go back? It seems to me at the end of this film that Maverick has some gas left in the tank. He's not settling down, said Joseph Kosinski during Deadline's Contenders LA3C panel.
The original movie has become a true classic. In addition to the fact that the follow-up has grossed some $1.5 billion at the box office worldwide, the film has become the all-time IMAX hit as it has earned $110 million. This is as far as the money is concerned, which can certainly be a source of Kosinski's inspiration.
But what about all those jaw-dropping stunts? In his previous interviews Kosinski recalled how Cruse undertook "the real Top Gun low-level training course at less than 50 feet above the ground at 500 miles per hour." (via)
He opened up on shooting the midair jet fighter scenes when the Pete "Maverick" Mitchell actor had six cameras around him as he sat in the second seat, "that he was turning on and off himself because there was no one else." He also recalled a daring boat scene the production team had no control over let alone various dogfights and the rest of NAVY plane porn every jet fighter enthusiast is so crazy about.
So, the question is what else can Kosinski and Cruise do to impress? Is there anything else left that Cruise haven't done yet? He hasn't travel to space – but this is just a matter of time as the adrenaline junkie actor has the trip on his busy schedule. And do not forget about the next installment of Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, which will hit the big screen in next July.
Do we really need Top Gun 3, though?
The fans of the sequel seem to agree that there's no stopping the franchise and the studio will surely milk it dry. With these huge numbers and great reception Cruise is not likely to slow down anytime soon, the commenters in a Reddit thread say.
The fans argue though that Paramount will want Cruise to help set it up for the long haul by developing some younger characters to take the lead as he clearly needs to step back and take a supporting role. However, some doubt the third film will ever happen as it is unlikely to have the hype of Top Gun: Maverick and there is actually not much more you can do with the concept.
A poll on whether or not there should be Top Gun 3, posted in the same thread, ended up with the majority picking a "No" option.