Tom Cruise Visits Paramount to Mark Skydance Takeover, Teases Return to Top Franchises

Paramount Pictures is making big moves with its film slate, putting some long-gestating projects on hold while focusing on reviving major franchises. One project in turnaround is the Miles Teller sports drama “Winter Games,” but the studio is also moving ahead with sequels to “Top Gun” and “Days of Thunder.”

Tom Cruise recently visited the Paramount lot to congratulate the Skydance team on its takeover and talk about returning to his iconic roles.

The actor is reportedly involved in discussions for both the upcoming “Top Gun: Maverick” sequel and a new “Days of Thunder” film. In November 2024, it was reported that Cruise was in final talks to star in and produce the “Days of Thunder” sequel, which is being developed alongside the next “Top Gun” installment.

Meanwhile, Paramount is planning a fresh take on “Star Trek,” though the studio has decided not to bring back the cast from the J.J. Abrams reboot, including Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. Some of the other upcoming projects the studio is greenlighting have been described as “America-centric” and aimed at audiences in the heartland, such as a Western-style film about a cowboy and his dog searching for a missing daughter, compared to a “Western version of Taken.”

Miles Teller has also been involved in discussions about continuing his role from the “Top Gun” universe. In 2022, he revealed he had pitched a sequel centered around his character, nicknamed “Top Gun: Rooster,” and has been in ongoing talks with Tom Cruise regarding the project.

Director Joseph Kosinski shared a bold idea with GQ Magazine in June, imagining a crossover between “Days of Thunder” and his F1 project, saying, “Right now, it’d be Cole Trickle [Cruise’s Days of Thunder character]. We find out that he and Sonny Hayes [Brad Pitt’s character in F1] have a past. They were rivals at some point, maybe crossed paths… I heard about this epic go-kart battle on Interview with the Vampire that Brad and Tom had, and who wouldn’t pay to see those two go head-to-head on the track?”

Paramount appears focused on both continuing established franchises and exploring new, high-concept ideas that could capture wide audiences.

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