Overview
- The Hollywood Reporter first reported Wednesday that Jonathan Levine is in negotiations to direct and that Tom Cruise is set to return as star and producer alongside Jerry Bruckheimer.
- Will Staples is credited as the screenwriter but studios are keeping plot details and any returning original cast members under wraps.
- Multiple outlets say Paramount is actively advancing the project with a tentative plan to begin filming in early 2027.
- Paramount’s interest in Levine is tied to strong early test-screening response for his upcoming sports drama Mr. Irrelevant, which gave the studio confidence to pursue him for a larger racing picture.
- The project fits a broader commercial strategy to mine nostalgia for legacy sequels and to capitalize on renewed audience appetite for racing films following recent hits like F1 and Top Gun: Maverick.