Tom Cruise Set for Record Paycheck in Top Gun 3
Tom Cruise is set to receive a staggering £100 million for his role in the upcoming sequel to Top Gun, marking what could be Hollywood’s biggest pay cheque ever. This follows his impressive earnings of £75 million from the 2022 film Top Gun: Maverick, which was the sequel to the 1986 original. The deal included a generous cut of the movie’s massive box office profits, and now Cruise is expected to repeat his role as producer while also starring as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell.
The third installment of the Top Gun franchise is scheduled for release in the summer of 2028. According to reports, Cruise will receive a salary of £18 million, plus approximately 8 per cent of the film’s profits. If Top Gun 3 achieves similar success to its predecessor, which grossed £1.1 billion worldwide, Cruise could earn more than £75 million from the profit share alone.
The confirmation of Top Gun 3 came from Paramount film co-head Josh Greenstein during a recent event at Las Vegas CinemaCon. The film is already in the early stages of development, with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Cruise, and co-writer Ehren Kruger working on the script.
A senior figure at Paramount shared insights into the significance of Cruise’s involvement, stating:
“Top Gun: Maverick was the biggest movie of Tom’s career and the film which brought audiences back [to cinemas] after Covid. There is no Top Gun without Tom, so the initial salary is a given. The profit share is generous, because David Ellison, who now owns Paramount, produced Maverick via his company Skydance, and believes Tom is worth every cent. He is confident this film will earn over a billion dollars.”
The second Top Gun film, directed by Joseph Kosinski, featured Miles Teller and Glen Powell as young pilots mentored by Cruise’s character. The success of Maverick not only revitalized the franchise but also demonstrated the enduring appeal of Cruise’s star power.
David Ellison, the owner of Paramount, has emphasized that Top Gun 3 is a top priority for the studio. He has expressed his commitment to continuing his collaboration with Cruise, stating that he will remain in the “Cruise business” as long as the A-list star wishes to tell stories with him. The two have worked together on ten films, highlighting the strong partnership between the actor and the studio head.
As the production of Top Gun 3 moves forward, fans are eagerly anticipating the return of one of Hollywood’s most iconic stars. With Cruise’s involvement, the film is expected to be a major box office success, further cementing his status as a leading figure in the entertainment industry.
