“High Gun: Maverick” was an exhilarating shock. It isn’t solely probably the greatest films of 2022, however it’s additionally probably the greatest examples of a legacy sequel executed proper — which is becoming contemplating “Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski had beforehand delivered one of the best legacy sequel of the 2010s, “TRON: Legacy.” The movie is spectacle in its purest type, with beautiful visuals, phenomenal motion and stunts, a killer soundtrack, and just a little little bit of character improvement as a deal with.
Commercially, “Maverick” was an awesome success in addition, so after all a 3rd “High Gun” film is being commissioned. However the place might it even go? By way of the story, “Maverick” already felt like a bookend to the bigger story of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise). Then there’s the query of the visuals. Contemplating that “Maverick” positioned cameras inside precise jet planes, is there any means “High Gun 3” might prime that? Can it take issues even larger, maybe to a spot with golden streets?
It is perhaps some time earlier than the conclusion to the unlikely “High Gun” trilogy comes out, however we’re beginning to get some juicy particulars about what to anticipate from it. Earlier this yr, “Maverick” author Christopher McQuarrie revealed he is aware of what the story for “High Gun 3” can be, although he refused to elaborate. Now, whereas selling his new movie “F1” in an interview with GQ, Kosinski has talked just a little extra in regards to the movie and the way it can take issues even additional than putting actors in honest-to-goodness jets:
“We’re pondering a lot greater than … It is a actually existential disaster that Maverick has on this, and it is a lot greater than himself. It is an existential query that Maverick has to take care of, that might make ‘Maverick’ really feel small, I feel, as a film, in comparison with what we’re speaking about.”
The place can High Gun 3 even go? And can Brad Pitt come alongside for the journey?
Kosinski additionally described the story for the “High Gun: Maverick” sequel as being “one final journey,” saying there may be nonetheless “extra story to inform” with regards to the Pete Mitchell character.
Whereas this does not shed a complete lot of sunshine on “High Gun 3,” it says a lot about the way forward for the bigger franchise. As we speculated when rumors of “High Gun 3” began circulating, the most important query a few third “High Gun” is whether or not it can proceed specializing in the titular coaching academy or truly transfer ahead. “Maverick” managed to do each, spending time in coaching (however with graduates of the academy) earlier than pulling off a extremely cool “Star Wars”-inspired mission, however it appears unlikely we’ll return to coaching but once more. Meaning both Mitchell can be pressured to return to service after retiring or “High Gun 3” will heart on a brand new and even greater mission.
Within the meantime, Kosinski is already pondering of how to increase his time working with quick automobiles, having already conquered the skies. When requested by GQ about “F1” star Brad Pitt saying he’d wish to work with Cruise once more, Kosinski had an concept for what to place the 2 actors in. Sadly, given Pitt particularly stated he’d solely work with Cruise in the event that they have been firmly on the bottom and never hanging off planes, it appears unlikely he’d present up in a 3rd “High Gun” film. Nonetheless, there is a solution to make it work.
“Proper now, it would be Cole Trickle, who was [Cruise’s] ‘Days of Thunder’ character, we discover out that he and Sonny Hayes [Pitt’s character in ‘F1’] have a previous,” Kosinski stated. “They have been rivals sooner or later, perhaps crossed paths … I heard about this epic go-kart battle on ‘Interview with a Vampire’ that Brad and Tom had, and who would not pay to see these two go head-to-head on the monitor?”
“F1” opens in theaters on June 27, 2025.
