'Top Gun' sequel "falls apart", but 'Top Gun 3D' targeted for February

Understandably, the last thing on anybody's mind after Tony Scott suddenly took his own life back in August was the future of the many projects he had on his slate. But a few months later, it appears the most high profile of them has "fallen apart", as the New York Times reports the long-developing Top Gun sequel is now a thing of the past.

The film would have featured Tom Cruise returning in the iconic Maverick role, with a script from Peter Craig(The Town) that would have involved a real-world look at how the air force operates now, which is very different than how it was in 1986. Obviously, without Scott it's unlikely Cruise would come back, and frankly it would just be in poor taste.

However, Paramount does have that Top Gun 3D re-release all finished and ready to go. It was announced late last year with initial plans to have it ready by now, but now a February release date is in in the works, with a possible one-week IMAX exclusive run prior to going national.

I'm happy to see that Paramount is doing the right thing in just about every way here. We don't need a Top Gun sequel, but the re-release could be a fitting final tribute to the popular director.