When Tom Cruise is "a very in-demand actor because he's gotten a lot of movies lined up," said Jerry Bruckheimer, the star loved a story concept for "Top Gun 3."
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| Jerry Bruckheimer and Tom Cruise on. PHOTO: AHSAN JAMEEL |
Tom Cruise's return to the skies in a third Top Gun film is now in the works.
As he promotes his new project with director Guy Ritchie, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Cruise's producer of the 1986 classic Top Gun and the 2022 big office hit Top Gun: Maverick tells PEOPLE that "we're working on" Top Gun 3.
"Tom liked the story we pitched him. But we'll have to wait and see because he's a highly sought-after actor with a full schedule," says 80-year-old Bruckheimer.
In response to the question of what about Cruise, 61, would surprise viewers, Bruckheimer mentions the actor's work ethic right away. "How hard he works," he remarks to PEOPLE. "Many actors end their workday by getting into their cars and driving home. Tom chats with the other performers, watches the movie they shot, and inquires about tomorrow's plans. He is genuinely involved in every step of the procedure."
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| Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun: Maverick'. PHOTO: SCOTT GARFIELD/PARAMOUNT PICTURES/COURTESY EVERETT |
Top Gun: Maverick opened in 2022 and made around $1.5 billion at the global box office. The sequel, which debuted as the highest-grossing film at the domestic box office that year, is currently the fifth-highest-grossing film in American history and the 12th-highest-grossing film worldwide.
Responding to a question about the significance of the film's popularity over 25 years after the first Top Gun, Bruckheimer tells PEOPLE, "Oh, it's fantastic."
"We invested a lot of effort into making it possible for us to amuse so many people worldwide. It's just the greatest available," he claims. "Just to observe from the sidelines as a crowd laughs, cries, and applauds." "The finest thing in the world is laughter."
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| Tom Cruise in 2022's 'Top Gun: Maverick'. PHOTO: PARAMOUNT PICTURES/ALAMY |
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Bruckheimer's upcoming film, opens in theatres on April 19. The producer and director, Ritchie, 55, collaborated on a movie with Henry Cavill as a British special operations operative in World War II.
Regarding his collaboration with Ritchie, Bruckheimer remarks, "I've been a fan of his since [1998's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels], way back when he was a young pup." "Trying to obtain him has taken a lot of time. We eventually got him."