In a surprise to no one, we now have confirmation that longtime collaboratorChristopher McQuarrieis once again working withTom Cruiseon the upcomingTop Gun 2. The duo first worked together onValkyrie, which McQuarrie wrote, and after that experience he wroteThe Touristfor Cruise (before Cruise dropped out), then eventually wrote and directed Cruise inJack Reacher. Their early collaborations proved so fruitful that whenMission: Impossible – Ghost Protocolran into a bit of trouble during production, Cruise called in McQuarrie to help do some uncredited work on the screenplay—he wrote the “Red is dead, blue is glue” line. And while McQuarrie wrote and directed Cruise inMission: Impossible – Rogue NationandFallout, he continues to be a go-to screenwriter when films likeEdge of TomorroworThe Mummyneed some help.
So again, it comes as no surprise that Cruise revealed in a new interview alongside McQuarrie in the upcoming issue ofEmpirethat the two are working onTop Gun: Maverick, which will be their 10th film together. Sources close to the production confirm to us that McQuarrie is onhand strictly for script work, and that the heavy lifting on the screenplay is already done. The project has been in the works for years, and Cruise tapped hisOblivionhelmerJoseph Kosinskito direct.
Top Gun 2’s current credited screenwriters, according to the always-accurate IMDb, arePeter Craig(12 Strong),Justin Marks(Counterpoint), andEric Warren Singer(American Hustle), so this feels similar to anEdge of Tomorrowscenario where McQuarrie was brought in after the fact to work on the script just before and during production. This isn’t an unusual situation, especially given McQuarrie and Cruise’s history.
Kosinski has assembled a terrific ensemble forTop Gun: Maverickwhich includes the return ofVal KilmeralongsideJennifer Connelly,Miles Teller,Jon Hamm,Ed Harris,Glen Powell,Manny Jacinto,Lewis Pullman, andThomasin McKenzie. Production is currently underway, but while it was originally scheduled for release in July 2019, it’s now due to hit theaters on August 27, 2025.
For more on McQuarrie and Cruise’s relationship, as well asFallout, check outPart 1andPart 2of our exclusive deep-dive interview with McQuarrie.
