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Director Tony Scott Confirmed for a Brand New 'Top Gun' Sequel

by Alex Billington
October 24, 2010
Source: What's Playing, HitFix

Well I'll be damned. A couple of days ago we wrote about a news report saying that Paramount had offered Tony Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer the chance to return for a brand new Top Gun sequel, some 14 years after the original. Oh and apparently Christopher McQuarrie (Usual Suspects, Valkyrie) is writing the script, which has a small role for Tom Cruise to return as Maverick. Well, some sites (What's Playing and HitFix) caught up with Scott at a press event this weekend for his new film Unstoppable and confirmed with him that he is actually directing Top Gun 2, as it's called, but wouldn't comment on Cruise's involvement.

"This world fascinated me, because it's so different from what it was originally," Scott says. "But, I don't want to do a remake. I don't want to do a reinvention. I want to do a new movie."

In the HitFix piece, Scott spoke about his interest and what the story might be about. Inspired by current technological advances, there's an Air Force base down in Fallon, Nevada where, "these computer geeks -- these kids play war games in a trailer... these guys can actually fly drones. They are unmanned aircraft. They operate them and then they party all night." Okay, so from the sounds of that, we're not getting Top Gun 2, we're getting Stealth 2. This just sounds awful, I have to admit. I thought this might be a chance for Tony Scott to get back to his action-filled roots (Top Gun was one of the first films he directed back in 1986) but it sounds like he's going to continue spiraling further and further out of control with worse and worse movies.

Scott adds that it "will partially examine the end of the era of fighter pilots" with the focus on the "kids" who now control these drones. Aw, how sad. Apparently this isn't going to be his next film, as he's got hundreds of projects on his plate right now, but it is coming soon - maybe "a few years away." I really hope McQuarrie can put together a good script, because from what Scott's said, this sounds terrible. We'll continue to keep you updated on this, but just know that in a few years, we'll be hosting one hell of a Top Gun reunion party.

Filed under Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

SuicidalOptimist

/headdesk
Patrick

This idea sounds bad. Why call it Top Gun or ruin the Top Gun legacy if it's not about the pilots that got to Top Gun. I don't want to see a movie about guys flying drones.
Ben

"some 14 years after the original" - I think you mean 24 years. It is a horrid idea.
dave

ur livin a bout 10 years in the past bro its 2010! 24 years :p
Jesus

I dont think anyone cares.
Franky

umm, Top Gun ranks up there with Stars Wars and Indiana Jones when it comes to movie Icons. It is what Tom Cruise is most known for. Tom Cruise was college age when he made the first Top Gun. He was very young. He is not exactly Clint Eastwood's age. He can play Maverick. Scott needs to embrace his commercial side that he's so embarrassed off, I heard him saying that he was not that proud of Top Gun in an interview, when Top Gun is the greatest film of his career and one of the coolest movies in history. He helped create the modern blockbuster. His two biggest movies are Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop 2. After Crimson Tide he started going with complex spy genre movies, but unless it is a James Bond movie than most of them stunk. I hope her brings back his visual style since he did the blockbuster look before Micheal Bay. Dog fighting no longer exists, however a great screenplay writer can figure out a way to make the action logically work. They have to dodge missiles that are 2 miles away, however if filmed right than it could be some cool action. Also, don't forget Don Simpson, he fired half the writers on the original and had a whole lot to do with the stories of those blockbuster movies. I love his former partner: Jerry Bruckheimer's movies, however ever since Don Simpson died the sort of dark bad boy or bad girl dramatic tone was gone. I hope they can do it without Don Simpson.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2408/blackbabyjesus.gif Crapola

I want Goose to come back as a ghost, then it'll be worth it. Maybe make it a bit Brokeback and have Tom make love to Goose's ghost while cities burn in the distance. Highway to the Danger Zone!!
Loser

Am I the only one who liked True Romance, Man on fire, Domino and even the Fan
non employees

@8 dude Domino sucked hard. and this sounds like Scott has lost his way just like his older brother. they should stick to executive producing tv shows now.
ted

i agree with #8 but no cruise = no top gun!
Last Son

No #8 I too also liked those movies. I like how Alex Says Tony Scott keeps making worse and worse films. Except for the crap that was "The Taking Of Pelham 123" which was only horrible because of John Travolta's over acting, Tony's previous films DeJa Vu, Domino & Man On Fire have been great. I don't like the idea surrounding Top Gun 2, but I trust Tony Scotts judgment. I only hope Denzel Won't be in it though. I like it when Tony and Denzel work together but it would be nice if Tony made other films without him all the time.
Voice of Reason

man, i hope Maverick cameos as a washed-out, down on his luck, barred-from-flying drunken loser they find in a bar still squeezing out some tears over Goose
Jimmy Love

Lol VOR I can see it now "I've lost that lovin feelin snif wooaahh that lovin feelin sniff goose I love you man" bar stool tips all the way and maverick comes crashing down.
Marty

Pathetic and disgusting. Another Pentagon sponsored recruitment bait. And quite a few clueless youngsters will catch it and subsequently join in. As state-trained killers they'll be sent to murder women and children in a strategic (from the energy point of view) third world country. Fortunately the US (and Europe alike) are quickly becoming a third world country themselves. Yep, the glorious economic system based on infinite growth and cheap fossil fuels is falling apart. Soon the US will run out of the printed money to support 1000-plus military bases to secure its energy interests. I hope it happens before Mr Scott lights his first cigar on the set of "Top Gun 2".
C.murder

@13, I think you confused this movie-based site for a political one...post your political comments in a forum setup for that, not here....idiot!
nmp

i agree with #14. Take those politico comments somewhere else brother. And # 9, Sir Riddley is still a great film maker, i am still a huge fan, and totally excited for his upcoming Aliens Prequel! Robin Hood i thought was very well done and Kingdom of Heaven was a underrated film, one of his best i think.
Mayhem

I'm going to say it... Straight to DVD.
Austin

This is a BAD idea. This will ruin the Top Gun legacy for sure. After all, the real stars of that movie were the F-14A Tomcats. No more Tomcats. Their role will have to be taken over by F/A-18 Hornets. Which have some big shoes to fill. I pray this doesn't go through. This will end up being a sequel like all the Iron Eagles. Just plain BAD. Bad story, bad plot, bad everything. I fear the worst. Tony Scott has directed good movies recently also. Well relatviley recnent. Man of Fire is one of my Favorites (behind Top Gun of course). What about De Je Vu? Another great one. Other films though I will agree, are fail.
Melissa

Man if they are going the way of Drones, then this is BS (and I am a huge Top Gun fan)! I want to see fighter pilots, turning and burning, having close calls with MiG 28s and some serious gun fire. Drones would be BORING! But I would like to see a TG 2. But along the same lines as the first, new kid on the block having to "fight" his way to complete flight school. Tom Cruise, maybe, being one of the instructors.
GrandDoc

Unlike everyone else here I can see this working. Have the drones come out, but you bring out the old crew, like Maverick, Ice Man, etc, and have them going up against each other. It's a possiblity...
bozo

It's nearing a time when this will be THE last chance to still do a cool relevant movie NOT about kids and drones!!? Best take advantage of it! If it's all CG with drones, I ain't seein' it.
LINKFX

Eh, I was excited, til I read the plot synopsis.
Rosalee

While I have no problem with a new TOP GUN film, I do have a problem calling it TOP GUN, as TOP GUN had nothing to do with flying drones from a safe distance from an Air Force installation e.g. Nellis. TOP GUN was Navy aviation save for the times that they flew against AF pilots who flew in from AF installations. I was at Miramar when it all began so try getting the story right PLEASE. I also have a lot of heartburn about Cruise with this little project as every time he is involved it bombs..................e.g. while the German version of Valkyrie was outstanding, the American film was a bomb...............and he successfully ruined The Last Samurai for me also.
http://blog.flixshelf.com Adam

Won't ever be seeing this, that's for sure!
harrison

does cameo mean cruise is going to walk by the main character at the end and say 'you can be my wingman'? yep
Denver

I can see a sequel to Top Gun, if it's done right. The movie opens to find Maverick, a seasoned pilot, not liking the caliber of pilots coming out of Pensacola, petitioning in D.C. for an advanced flying school much like the old Top Gun that he was a part of. He recruits some of his old classmates from Top Gun (Ice Man, Hollywood) and they instruct a new group of ace pilots to fly better and think faster. You have to remember though, it's been 24 years since the original. While the Navy's promotional system is not a high speed train to the top, Maverick would have to be at least a Commander or Captain by this point in time. I wouldn't want to see it go off on some Iron Eagle tangent. A movie with UAVs? No thank you. We have enough Air Force recruiting movies out there. It's bad enough that every kid out there is signing up for the Air Force so they can go kill some alien robots.
rahjneesh

oh god!! another "bromance" about the fighter jocks...the last one sucked a big bag of dicks and this one will too...please spend the money on something useful....
Fisherr

I am not sure about that, i think it's much better if they leave this movie alone.