Paramount Announces Top Gun 3 with Tom Cruise at CinemaCon

A third installment in the "Top Gun" film series is officially in development, with star Tom Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer set to return. The project was confirmed by Paramount Pictures during its presentation at the 2026 CinemaCon event in Las Vegas.

While a release date, director, and full cast have not been announced, actor Jay Ellis, who played Lieutenant Reuben "Payback" Fitch in 2022’s "Top Gun: Maverick," has expressed his eagerness to reprise his role. In recent interviews, Ellis stated he would happily fit the project into his schedule and confirmed that a script exists. He noted that Paramount, Cruise, and Bruckheimer are all enthusiastic about the project. Ellis described the creative team’s goal as pushing the new film beyond the achievements of the last one, a standard he said motivated the long gap between the original 1986 film and its sequel.

The development of a third film follows the monumental success of "Top Gun: Maverick." Released 36 years after the original, the sequel earned widespread critical acclaim, was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, and won for Best Sound. It grossed approximately $1.5 billion worldwide, making it...