Skip to main content

Val Kilmer ready to ‘fire up some fighter jets’ for Top Gun sequel, but he’s not in yet

top gun 2 tom cruise jerry bruckheimer
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Updated on 11-17-2015 by Parker Hall: Val Kilmer has announced, via a weird Facebook status update, that he may be co-starring in the long-anticipated, much-discussed sequel to Top Gun. In signature Kilmer fashion the actor who played “Ice Man” in the original film claims he received a call from his agent about reprising his role to which he said “Yes,” but then backs off, saying nothing is final and apologizing for “jumping the topgun.”

Here’s Kilmer’s official post below:

facebook.com/valkilmer/posts/1068503603181347" data-width="500">

I just got offered #topgun2 – not often you get to say “yes” without reading the script…”It’s starring Gene…

Posted by Val Kilmer on Monday, November 16, 2015

Nearly a a year since it was announced that screenwriter Justin Marks (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li) was working on a sequel to Top Gun, a presser for Terminator Genisys delivered the first official update on the project courtesy of the film’s producers.

During the press junket, Skydance Productions CEO David Ellison and CCO Dana Goldberg were asked about the status of the Top Gun sequel during a group interview, and offered some hints about what to expect when Tom Cruise’s hotshot fighter pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell returns to the big screen.

“Justin Marks is writing the screenplay right now,” said Ellison (as reported by Collider). “He has a phenomenal take to really update that world for what fighter pilots in the Navy has turned into today. … When you look at the world of dogfighting, what’s interesting about it is that it’s not a world that exists to the same degree when the original movie came out. … It is very much a world we live in today where it’s drone technology and fifth-generation fighters are really what the United States Navy is calling the last man-made fighter that we’re actually going to produce. So it’s really exploring the end of an era of dogfighting and fighter pilots and what that culture is today.”

Ellison also confirmed that Cruise will be returning for more than a cameo role in the film, stating that “there is no Top Gun without Maverick, and it is going to be Maverick playing Maverick.”

While neither Ellison nor Goldberg could confirm that the film will be shot in 3D and/or IMAX, both producers agreed that it would make sense for a project like this one. The producers also agreed that Cruise was likely to push for as much use of practical effects as possible.

“As everyone knows with Tom, he is 100-percent going to want to be in those airplanes shooting it practically,” said Ellison. Cruise is famous for doing his own stunts, including a high-flying turn of a different kind in the latest Mission: Impossible sequel, in which Cruise is strapped to the outside of a jet as it takes off. We can only imagine he’ll want to show something similarly daring in his return to the franchise that solidified his super-stardom.

“I don’t think [it will be] what people are going to expect, and we are very, very hopeful that we get to make the movie very soon,” he added. “But like all things, it all comes down to the script, and Justin is writing as we speak.”

There’s currently no start of production scheduled for the Top Gun sequel, and no release date at this point.

Editors' Recommendations

Rick Marshall
A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…
3 underrated (HBO) Max movies you should watch this weekend (June 28-30)
A girl looks at a boy in House at the End of the Street.

June is surprisingly over, and with it, a great month for movies comes to a satisfactory close. You've probably watched Inside Out 2 or Bad Boys: Ride or Die or maybe even The Bikeriders. From blockbusters to indie fare, the theatrical movie business has been robust and healthy.

The same goes for streaming. Netflix had a big hit with Richard Linklater's Hit Man, while Amazon Prime Video recently premiered the latest bonkers season of The Boys. HBO and Max have been quieter, but their robust library speaks volumes to the streamer's high quality. The following three films are older, but are just as worth your time as new hits like House of the Dragon season 2.
The Skin I Live In (2011)

Read more
3 underrated Amazon Prime Video movies you should watch this weekend (June 28-30)
Two men spy from a car in The Limey.

As we head toward the end of June, it's worth reflecting on how we want to spend the rest of summer. For some, that's going to mean enjoying nice weather or getting some time in at the beach. For others, it might mean escaping from the heat, at least for a while, to check out a great movie.

If you fall into that second category, then we've pulled together a list of three great, underrated, titles available on Amazon Prime Video that are all worth checking out. Prime Video is home to some of the best movies available online, but it can be hard to find the ones you want. These three will at least give you a great place to start.
The Limey (1999)
The Limey | 4K Restoration Trailer | Plays Dec. 19

Read more
The best Netflix original series right now
Eric and Benedict Cumberbatch in Eric.

The era of Peak TV was also Peak Netflix, because the streamer seemingly had an endless supply of new original series. So far in 2024, that hasn't been the case. Whether we'll ever get the same level of content again seems unlikely for now. But even in a reduced capacity, Netflix still has a few new additions to its lineup of originals.

For the month of June, we're adding the '80s-set thriller, Eric, which stars Benedict Cumbebatch. Our other pick for the month is Supacell, which is Netflix's new British series that remixes some old superhero archetypes. That's not a very big selection for fans who always want something new, but this roundup of the best Netflix original series really does have all of the top options in one place for you. All you have to do is scroll down and make time to binge watch some shows.

Read more