Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise is set to return to one of his most iconic roles - pilot Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell in the next instalment of the Top Gun franchise.
Paramount Pictures confirmed on Thursday that Top Gun 3 is in development with Tom leading the cast.
The announcement came at Paramount's panel at the ongoing CinemaCon in Las Vegas, an annual week-long summit at which Hollywood studios present their biggest upcoming movies to theatre owners and press.
During the presentation, Paramount film co-head Josh Greenstein said Top Gun 3 was 'officially in development with a script well underway.'
He added that Cruise would be returning to the franchise, as will producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
About the Top Gun films, the original Top Gun film, released in 1986, was a milestone in Hollywood aviation dramas.
It was not only a huge box-office success, but it also became part of modern pop culture.
It also helped a then 24-year-old Tom Cruise rise to superstardom, particularly in America.
Directed by Tony Scott and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, the film also starred Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, and Tom Skerritt.
Made on a $15-million budget, Top Gun made over $350 million worldwide.
The sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, saw Tom Cruise's character, now in his 50s, train younger pilots at the academy.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the film featured the return of Val Kilmer, alongside Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, Lewis Pullman, and Ed Harris.
Maverick made close to $1.5 billion at the box office, becoming Tom Cruise's biggest hit.
Legendary director Steven Spielberg publicly credited Tom Cruise with helping bring moviegoers back to theatres after the COVID-19 pandemic with the long-awaited sequel.
