Tom Cruise is poised to revive his career-defining role as enigmatic Navy pilot Maverick after plans to develop a Top Gun sequel were unveiled on Thursday.

Tentative plans for a follow-up to the 1986 smash starring Cruise and Kelly McGillis had previously struggled to get off the ground despite major backing by feted Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

But at a press junket in Berlin on Thursday, David Ellison, CEO of production company Skydance, confirmed a shooting script is in development – and the film WILL feature troubled fighter pilot Maverick, originally played by Cruise.

Scroll down for video

Confirmed: At a press junket in Berlin on Thursday, David Ellison, CEO of production company Skydance, confirmed a shooting script for Top Gun 2 is in development – and the film WILL feature troubled fighter pilot Maverick, originally played by Tom Cruise

‘Justin Marks is writing the screenplay right now,’ he confirmed. ‘He has a phenomenal take to really update that world for what fighter pilots in the Navy has turned into today.

‘It is very much a world we live in today where it’s drone technology and fifth generation fighters… it’s really exploring the end of an era.

He added: ‘It is very much a world we live in today where it’s drone technology and fifth generation fighters … It’s really exploring the end of an era of dogfighting and fighter pilots and what that culture is today.’

Phenomenon: Top Gun made superstars of Cruise and his on-screen love interest, co-star Kelly McGillis following its release in May, 1986

Ellison concluded by revealing that the action will once again be centered on Maverick - despite the character being 30-years older - although it is not known if McGillis, who played his love interest, will feature.

He said: 'There is an amazing role for Maverick in the movie, and there is no Top Gun without Maverick, and it is going to be Maverick playing Maverick.'

Speaking in April 2014, Bruckheimer - responsible for co-producing the first film - admitted they were 'closer and closer' to developing a sequel based on modern day warfare.

Coming soon: While the film will feature Cruise, it will not feature Anthony Edward, whose character Goose was tragically killed in a freak flying accident

He told the Huffington Post: 'The concept is, basically: are the pilots obsolete because of drones? Cruise is going to show them that they're not obsolete. They're here to stay.

'We've been trying to get that movie made for 30 years, and I think we're getting closer and closer. Don (Simpson, fellow producer) and I tried to develop something; we didn't succeed. Cruise took over, and he tried to develop something, and he didn't succeed. Now we're back at it.'

Screenwriter Marks, whose previous credits include Street Fighter and upcoming Disney adaptation The Jungle Book, was thought to be in discussion with Paramount over the script last August.

Top Gun made superstars of Cruise, McGillis and co-star Val Kilmer following its release in May, 1986.

Put together with a budget of $15 million, the film raked in an estimated $353,816,701 worldwide, making it the highest grossing film of that year.

Popular: Cruise built his career on the enduring success of Top Gun



