Top Gun 2 Slated For 2019 Release With Joseph Kosinski To Direct

We only have a year left to wait before we finally see “Top Gun 2” back in the big screen, with Tom Cruise set to reprise his role as Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Paramount Pictures has just officially announced the release date and director for the “Top Gun” follow-up. The sequel has been in talks for years now, almost seeming to be forever stuck in development hell. However, things started to take a turn on its own when Cruise recently announced that “Top Gun 2” is indeed happening.

In line with Cruise’s announcement, speculation began circulating about a director, and one of the front runners who were thrown in to consideration was “Oblivion” director Joseph Kosinski. The rumor seems to turn out to be true as he is now considered to helm the “Top Gun” sequel.

Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, and Barry Tubb in Top Gun (1986). Photo by Paramount Pictures.

Top Gun 2: Maverick As A Next-Gen Pilot Instructor

The release date and the finalizing deal to bring on Kosinski was posted in a report by Deadline. With Kosinski and Cruise officially on board for the project, the studio has scheduled a July 12, 2019 release date for “Top Gun 2.”

The report also came with a brief premise for the film. Cruise reprises his role as Maverick, and is now a flight instructor for the next batch of “macho pilots.” Jerry Bruckheimer will produce, along with a screenplay from Peter Craig and Justin Marks, along with Ashley Miller and Zack Stentz.

Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis in Top Gun (1986). Photo by Paramount Pictures.

Paramount is obviously trying to hop on the nostalgia train for “Top Gun 2.” The hope here is for the movie to be propelled to success by this. Currently, there hasn’t been a worthy rebbot or sequel to well-loved classic hits in Hollywood. Hopefully, “Top Gun 2” will be a huge exception from what “Independence Day: Resurgence,” “Zoolander 2,” and all the other previously-released reboot/sequel films have experienced.

Even though this all sounds really enticing on paper, it will be Kosinski’s quality of execution and brilliant story-telling that will ultimately grab the audience’s attention to an already-loved and years-appreciated film like “Top Gun 2.”