As the "Mission: Impossible" franchise comes to a close, Tom Cruise is raising the curtain on his next blockbuster projects. In a recent sit-down with theToday Show Australia, Cruise said that he and his team are "working on" potential sequels for 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick" and the 1990 racing thriller "Days of Thunder." More from Variety Tom Cruise's 'Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning' Secures China Release Despite Trade Tensions Tom Cruise's Signature Aviator Sunglasses Are the Star of Cannes - And Available on Amazon Cannes Skimps on Movie Marketing Stunts: Hollywood Wonders Where the Hype Went? "Yeah, we're thinking and talking about many different stories and what could we do and what's possible," Cruise said. "It took me 35 years to figure out 'Top Gun: Maverick', so all of these things we're working on, we're discussing 'Days of Thunder' and 'Top Gun: Maverick.'" He continued, "There's numerous other films that we're actively working on right now. I'm always shooting a film, prepping a film, posting a film. I just finished a film with Alejandro Iñárritu too, who did 'The Revenant,' and we'll be coming out with that. That was an extraordinary experience and ['Mission: Impossible' director Christopher McQuarrie] and I are always working on several different films." "Maverick," released in May 2022, went on to become a box office smash, grossing $1.49 billion worldwide. "Days of Thunder," released four years after the original "Top Gun," grossed $157 million worldwide at the end of its theatrical run (not adjusted for inflation). Cruise was first intalks to returnfor "Days of Thunder 2" back in November 2024, with "Top Gun: Maverick" producer Jerry Bruckheimer also in discussions to return. The original film followed Cruise's Cole Trickle, an outcast racecar driver selected to join a new NASCAR team led by a former racing legend, Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall). Varietyreported back in January 2024 that "Top Gun 3" wasin developmentat Paramount. "Maverick" co-writer Ehren Kruger will pen the script and the studio hopes to bring back director Joseph Kosinski for the threequel, all according to sources. As mentioned by Cruise, his next project is an untitled film with director Alejandro González Iñárritu.Varietyexclusively reportedin October 2024 that shooting was to begin in the UK as early as November of that year. Along with Cruise, cast members include Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jesse Plemons and Sophie Wilde. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.
