Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are reuniting to develop a new UFO conspiracy thriller, raising questions about what will happen with the in-development Top Gun 3. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kosinski’s UFO movie, written by Zach Baylin, is described as “All the President’s Men with UFOs” and is currently the subject of an intense Hollywood bidding war that is “escalating quickly and aggressively.” Several studios, including Amazon, Paramount, Apple, and Warner Bros., are said to be in the running to secure the rights. No actors have been cast in the project, and it’s unknown when it would begin production.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The Hollywood Reporter notes that the involvement of David Grusch, a former U.S. Air Force member who “testified before Congress that the government has been studying the spacecraft and bodies of aliens,” is an integral selling point to studios. Grush is serving as a consultant on Kosinski’s film in an effort to make the movie as authentic as possible.
As Kosinski and Bruckheimer shop around their UFO movie, Top Gun 3 has been in the works. Word of a sequel to the massively successful Top Gun: Maverick first came out in January 2024, when it was reported stars Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, and Glen Powell would all reprise their roles. However, Top Gun 3 is not being fast-tracked; in 2024, Bruckheimer revealed there wasn’t a script in place, indicating audiences would have to wait a while for the film to come out.
[RELATED – Top Gun: Maverick Director Addresses That Grim Fan Theory]
Earlier this month, Teller, who plays Rooster in Top Gun: Maverick, was asked about how Top Gun 3 is progressing. The actor admitted he’s in the dark about the project, but noted there was “enthusiasm” from both the filmmakers and the fans to make another installment.
Kosinski and Bruckheimer developing a completely different film together seems to indicate Top Gun 3 is further on the backburner than some fans would like. While the untitled UFO conspiracy thriller is in the earliest stages, the fact that there’s a substantial bidding war suggests the project is a hot commodity, and whichever studio wins will want to quickly move forward with it. Depending on how things shake out, this UFO movie could emerge as the top priority for Kosinski after his next film, the Brad Pitt vehicle F1, releases this summer.
Of course, there’s a highly important third party who would be involved with Top Gun 3: Tom Cruise. A third Top Gun movie won’t happen until he’s free to make it, and the ever-busy actor has a full schedule currently. He’s currently filming director Alejandro G. Iñárittu’s next film, which is due to premiere next year. And there’s no shortage of other projects (like a horror movie helmed by Doug Liman) he could turn his attention to next. Given how big of a hit Top Gun: Maverick was, it seems likely Top Gun 3 will be made eventually, but not until all the stars align. For the time being, Kosinski taking a crack at a UFO conspiracy thriller sounds intriguing, and that film should help tide fans over until Maverick takes to the skies again.
