Christopher McQuarrie Says 'Top Gun 3' Plot Is 'Already In The Bag'
Top Gun 3 has reportedly made some headway, with filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie revealing that he has already nailed down the storyline for the sequel.
McQuarrie, who helmed the recent blockbuster Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning , alongside writing and co-producing 2022's Top Gun: Maverick , spoke on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, where he explained that coming up with the plot for the sequel was easier than expected. Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
When asked if Top Gun 3's story was 'harder to crack' than its predecessor, McQuarrie revealed that it was 'already in the bag,' adding that he already knows what the story is. 'It wasn't hard,' he explained, 'I thought it would be, and that's a good place to go from as you walk into the room going, 'Come on, what are we going to do?' And Ehren Kruger pitched something and I went, 'Mhm actually,' and we had one conversation about it and the framework is there. So, no, it's not hard to crack. The truth of the matter is, none of these are hard to crack.'
'It's as you start to execute it, and as you start to interrogate it, as you start [to think] why these movies are made the way they are,' he added, 'It's not the action, it's not even the level of or intensity of or the scope and scale of the action [or] the engineering around the action, it's none of those things — it's the emotion.' Top Gun (1986)
When asked if he would step into a director role for the sequel, taking over from Top Gun: Maverick helmer Joseph Kosinski, McQuarrie replied that he had given the prospect 'absolutely no thought whatsoever', although he did admit to doing a lot of research on Tony Scott's movies, the late film director who helmed the original 1986 movie Top Gun .
This isn't the first time the Top Gun threequel has been teased by those working on the project either, as franchise icon Tom Cruise, who played Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell in both films, previously said that he was actively working on not only Top Gun 3, but a potential sequel to 1990's Days of Thunder too.
'Yeah, we're thinking and talking about many different stories and what could we do and what's possible,' Cruise said during an interview with the Today Show Australia, 'It took me 35 years to figure out Top Gun: Maverick , so all of these things we're working on, we're discussing Days of Thunder and Top Gun: Maverick .'
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Christopher McQuarrie Top Gun top gun 3 top gun maverick
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Culture
4 hours ago
- Geek Culture
GIGABYTE AORUS MASTER 16/18 Series Harnesses AI Excellence For Powerhouse Gaming On The Go
Be it a gaming laptop or desktop battlestation, there are always fixed prerequisites that users look out for to get the best out of the experience. The first is powerful hardware, offering the punch needed to run graphically-demanding games smoothly, followed by an excellent display that enhances the viewing experience through striking visuals and sharp detail. Cooling is another, proving important in preventing heat build-up and performance throttle issues. The GIGABYTE AORUS MASTER 16/18 Series touts all of that, but raises the bar with its mastery over various artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Representing the ultimate work and play experience, the combined competence starts with top-line hardware, of up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX5090 GPU and an Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 275HX, alongside a starting 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage (upgradable to 64GB and 4TB, respectively). As the RTX 50 Series of graphics cards supports ray-time ray tracing, users can expect more photorealistic visuals, greater clarity, and truer-to-life shadow and reflection effects. On its exterior, the AORUS MASTER 16/18 has achieved its deepest black ever, at 5° Black, which contrasts beautifully with RGB lighting in the dark. A 16-inch OLED display feeds into the immersion, boasting WQXGA resolution (2,560 x 1,600 pixels), a 240Hz refresh rate, and a 100 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut. Coupled with Dolby Vision and Display HDR1000 compatibility, it works to deliver vibrant images, deep blacks, and rich contrast. Fluid and responsive gameplay is also part of the package – a welcome treat from NVIDIA's own suite of tools such as G-Sync, which eliminates stutter and artefacts on the screen. While the refresh rate remains unchanged on the 18-inch models, their panels are swapped out for the mini-LED QHD option (2,560 x 1,440 pixels). The cinematic delight is accompanied by audio mastery. Sporting up to six speakers with dual-force woofers, the device promises 1.58 times louder volume and deeper bass, as well as Dolby Atmos support. Additionally, a smart amplifier, intelligently matched to the speaker's physical capabilities, ensures distortion-free audio at any volume level and reliable long-term operation. There are trade-offs to heavyweight gaming, however. Overheating may be easily glossed over by some, but it can be damaging in the long run, especially for laptops and their limited ventilation capabilities. To that end, the AORUS MASTER 16/18 comes with fortified WindForce Infinite EX cooling, comprising a frost fan, a quad-fan design, a vapour chamber, and 3D VortX air channelling that work together to support up to 270-watt total thermal power for sustained high-performance output. Here's how the magic works – the frost fan adopts 158 asymmetric blades to increase airflow density, while the quad-fan setup reduces core component temperatures by up to 4.7 degree Celsius and noise levels by seven per cent. Then comes the vapour chamber, boosting coverage by 50 per cent for more efficient thermal performance, with 3D VortX technology improving the heat exchange process via four exhaust outlets and 3D air channelling. The enhanced cooling efficiency is designed to last, too, so users can enjoy hours-long gaming sessions in peace without their hand feeling warm. All of these capabilities are further optimised by a GIGABYTE special (and arguably its biggest draw), the GiMATE. Featuring an intuitive interface that extends more personal control to users, the AI-powered smart assistant is rooted in two key implementations – embedding advanced large language models (LLM) to understand and anticipate needs without encroaching on data privacy, and G-Cell, a suite of proprietary tech that optimises hardware based on user experiences. Here's how each of them works: AI Power – Smart GPU switching for up to 15 percent longer battery life – Smart GPU switching for up to 15 percent longer battery life AI Performance – One-click overclocking for GPU and fan tuning to balance performance with efficiency – One-click overclocking for GPU and fan tuning to balance performance with efficiency AI Cooling – Adapts to surroundings for silent operation – Adapts to surroundings for silent operation AI Audio – Auto-calibrates based on laptop positioning – Auto-calibrates based on laptop positioning AI Voice – Advanced noise cancellation and voice recognition – Advanced noise cancellation and voice recognition AI Privacy – Automatically detects when authorised viewers approach and obscures screen Other notable features of GiMATE include Press and Speak, which responds to user requests, query, needs, and more, and GiMate creator, an image generator that imports the latest AI models from Hugging Face and has snagged the honour of being the industry's first mobile design hub ready for AI experimentation and deployment. Amid the continued growth of AI, the AORUS MASTER 16/18 presents a strong case for how the tech can be neatly integrated into existing capabilities, focusing on value-added functionality instead of flashy action – such that it won the Computex 2025 Best Choice Award for Industry-Leading Innovation. The 16-inch model retails for S$7,499 with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of ROM, whereas its 18-inch sibling starts at S$6,069 for 32GB of RAM and 2TB of ROM. Meanwhile, the 64GB RAM and 2TB storage variant costs S$8,388. Both models are available for purchase now via Techyard and GamePro. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Advertorial Aorus gigabyte Gigabyte Aorus laptop
Geek Culture
4 hours ago
- Geek Culture
Netflix Tudum 2025 Recap: ‘Squid Game' Season 3 Trailer, First Look At One Piece's Chopper, 6 Minutes Of ‘Wednesday' Sequel & More
Between a constant slew of new titles and updates to existing works, including sequels and spin-offs, it can be difficult to keep track of upcoming releases on Netflix. But there are always a select few headliners for the yearly slate, and 2025 is no different, led by the highly-anticipated return of Squid Game , One Piece , Stranger Things , and Wednesday . The quartet enjoyed their fair share of the spotlight at this year's Tudum, an annual celebration of the streamer's original films and television series, joined by other projects like Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery , Frankenstein , and newly-announced reveals. Hosted by Sofia Carson ( Purple Hearts , Carry-On ), the event was held on 30 May (or 1 June, depending on timezone) in Los Angeles, making it the first iteration to be streamed on Netflix. It wasn't just announcements after announcements, either. Alongside live performances from Lady Gaga – who treated viewers to a medley of 'Zombieboy', 'Bloody Mary', and 'Abracadabra' and a surprise announcement of her guest-starring role in Part 2 of Wednesday Season 2 – and Hanumankind, the music talent behind viral hit 'The Game Don't Stop', there were also notable moments involving WWE superstars introducing the cast of One Piece , as well as Backstreet Boy AJ McClean appearing to give a sneak peek of upcoming music series Building the Band . Here's the lowdown of every trailer debut at Netflix Tudum 2025. The clock continues to tick down, as Squid Game nears its end. After following through a series of life-or-death choices, Gi-hun (Lee Jun-jae) and his allies are gearing up for one final round of brutal games, heavily armed pink guards, and bloodthirsty enemies, including the big bad Front Man. The road won't be easy, however, as teased in a new trailer for Squid Game Season 3, featuring an impending bloodbath, sky-high stakes, and the ultimate test of the truth: 'Player 456, do you still have faith in people?' asks Front Man to Gi-Hun in a voice-over. The last season of Squid Game debuts on 27 June. Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back on the case in the third instalment of the Knives Out whodunnit series, with franchise creator Rian Johnson returning to the director's chair. Joined by a new star-studded crew of Glenn Close ( Fatal Attraction ), Josh Brolin ( No Country for Old Men ), Mila Kunis ( Black Swan ), Jeremy Renner ( The Avengers films), Kerry Washington ( Django Unchained ), Cailee Spaeny ( Alien: Romulus ), and Daryl McCormack ( Peaky Blinders ), the forthcoming threequel centres on a murder mystery in an as-yet-undisclosed setting. No other story details were shared, but it will unravel 'the impossible crime' that would mark Blanc's most dangerous case yet. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery hits Netflix on 12 December. Following a long-awaited first peek at Chopper, Season 2 of One Piece has dropped new footage introducing the fan-favourite reindeer doctor. In it, he cuts an adorable figure with mannerisms and gags carried over from the source material, such as an aversion to flattery and compliments, and a tendency to hide the wrong way. Mikaela Hoover, of Beef and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 fame, pulls double duty as the voice actor and facial capture performer. The character will board the Going Merry when Season 2 sets sail in 2026, with Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Romero, and Taz Skylar reprising their roles as Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji, respectively. Hailing from Guillermo del Toro, the filmmaker behind The Shape of Water and 2022's Pinocchio , Frankenstein is a reimagination of Mary Shelley's classic gothic tale that has long been in the works. Oscar Isaac ( Star Wars: Skywalker Saga trilogy) steps into the role of Victor Frankenstein, the scientist who breathes life into his creation, Frankenstein's monster (Jacob Elordi, Saltburn ). Fans of the director should keep an eye out for nods to his previous works, conveyed through imagery from Crimson Peak and Hellboy II: The Golden Army to Pan's Labyrinth . Frankenstein resurrects in November, and having someone with a strong record of turning monsters into beautiful tragedies at the helm is a good start. It's easter egg galore in Happy Gilmore 2 , as Adam Sandler ( Grown Ups ) celebrates his return to the green. This time, the former hockey player turned golfer is joined by original cast members Julie Bowen ( Modern Family ) as Virgina Venit, Christopher McDonald ( Requiem for a Dream ) as Shooter McGavin, and Ben Stiller ( Night of the Museum ) as the uncredited role of Hal L, alongside newcomers Bad Bunny, Margaret Qualley ( The Substance ), and Benny Safdie ( Uncut Gems ). American football player Travis Kelce will also be part of the roster, with other notable names in the sporting world including pro wrestler Jacob Friedman and golfers John Daly, Paige Spiranac, Rory Mcllory, Scottie Scheffler, Bryson Dechambeau, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, and Will Zalatoris. Happy Gilmore 2 premieres 25 July. It's been nine years since Stranger Things introduced the world to the Upside Down, and its final season looks to go out with a bang. Season 5 of the beloved sci-fi series will be released in three parts: the first four episodes on 26 November, another three on Christmas Day, and the finale on New Year's Eve. While Netflix has already shared the title for its blockbuster-length episodes, a new teaser offers a brief glimpse of the dangers that lay in wait for the main crew – Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin, (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Will (Noah Schnapp), and Max (Sadie Sink) – as they take on Vecna. Rounding out Netflix Tudum 2025 is a six-minute preview of Wednesday Season 2, which opens with the titular Addams Family member (Jenna Ortega) tied up and gagged in a basement surrounded by creepy dolls. As viewers would soon come to know, it's a result of her pursuit of the Kansas City Scalper, America's most elusive serial killer, but that isn't even her and The Thing's (Victor Dorobantu) biggest obstacle. The honour goes to airport security, where her array of weapons, including knives, nunchucks, and a mace, are cleared, and not a tube of sunscreen packed by The Thing. It's a familiar brand of humour that fans can expect in the sequel, which arrives in two parts: first on 6 August, then on 3 September. The trailer for the next team-up between Good Will Hunting stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck will continue to be an event-exclusive reveal, though the FOMO is tempered by the pair's wholesome run-in with Sesame Street 's Cookie Monster. Slated to release on 16 January 2026, The Rip also sees Steven Yeun ( Walking Dead ), Teyana Taylor ( A Thousand and One ), and Catalina Sandino Moreno ( Maria Full of Grace ) in on the action. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Netflix Netflix Tudum 2025 One Piece Squid Game Stranger Things wednesday
Geek Culture
14 hours ago
- Geek Culture
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina - Review
Hanna , Atomic Blonde , Salt , La Femme Nikita – there have not been many female-led action films with a flair of their own, but with the introduction of John Wick (2014) and its brand of grounded yet stylistic action and intense violence, it was only a matter of time before a female version came into play. And Ana de Armas' From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is taking down the competition with pinpoint accuracy, with the same blood-infused shots, body blows and glorious headshots that the franchise is known for. Best known for her role of nurse Marta Cabrera in the whodunnit film Knives Out (2019), and Paloma in the James Bond film No Time to Die (2021), de Armas brings her ass-kicking charisma into the John Wick universe with the franchise's first film spin-off, playing a ballerina-assassin from the Ruska Roma criminal faction. Orphaned at a young age, Eve (Ana de Armas) is taken into the Ruska Roma by the Director (Angelica Houston), and trained as a killer. With an anger and intensity to train herself to seek revenge, the first half of the film plays out like a typical revenge flick, of a small female rewriting the rules of combat, and taught how to use her small size and strength to her advantage, to get ahead. Like in the first two John Wick films, there is no time for side plot or world-building, because audiences don't need it. Putting her pain aside, Eve only has revenge on her mind and this would be a typical revenge flick, if not for the on-screen violence that John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski brings to the table. Yet, he's not the director of Ballerina . Not officially anyway. Credited to Len Wiseman of Live Free or Die Hard (2007) fame, there have been reports of extensive reshoots by Stahelski and there's no denying the stylistic action and cinematography that Stahelski is known for here. Regardless, the rehashed elements of revenge might seem like an imitation, but de Armas isn't going for the stoic here to follow in the footsteps of Wick. Neither is she going for the sweet charms of Paloma, but somewhere behind the gun-toting, knife throwing and hammer-smashing finesse is a little girl armed with deadly skills, but knows she can be easily outmatched and outpowered. And boy does the 37-year-old Cuban and Spanish beauty get kicked, thrown and blown up in almost every battle. Stahelski, or Wiseman, seems intent to throw everything at her, from her training at Ruska Roma, to her first job protecting Katla Park (Choi Soo-young, from Korean girl group Girls' Generation) from an assassin, played by Korean action choreographer and director, Jung Doo-hong. From being kicked down the stairs and thrown across tables made of ice, Eve has to dish out as much as she takes, but she's not some second-rate or clone of John Wick. Whereas Keanui Reeves' Wick displays a weary, everyday tiredness about him after getting beaten up and shot at throughout his films, Eve has the energetic weariness to know she needs to succeed or die, so while there are fight scenes similar to John Wick's armed combat, she behaves much like the title suggest, of a graceful dancer dispensing death with a sweet agility, though she might fall over constantly trying to stay alive. There are several key action sequences and instead of copying the action, Ballerina dials up the blood and gruesome kills, and there is an imaginative one involving flamethrowers, where Eve dances with and in between the fiery flames. Along her way to seek her father's killer, she opens up a new previously unknown chapter in the John Wick universe, of a cult of killers operating alongside but separately from the High Table, controlled by Gabriel Byrne's Chancellor. Her vengeful journey also takes her to The Continental, where she meets Ian McShane's Winston Scott, and Lance Reddick's Charon. Scott's short and simple appearance is a welcome one, providing a nobility to every John Wick outing ever made, and it's good to see Charon, albeit in a minor role, and the last posthumous one filmed by Reddick before his untimely passing. The Walking Dead alum, Norman Reedus, also appears as Daniel Pine, a target of Eve and with several contracts out on him, puts him on the crosshairs while he's staying at The Continental. Oddly enough, when guns start going off, you have to recall that no business can be conducted on its grounds, and there are repercussions, though this is never mentioned and only fans will recognise the fallout. It's somewhat frustrating that Reedus' Pine is reduced to merely a small cameo, with even less screen time than Reeves. Given that this film takes place between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023), where Wick is on the run from the High Table, it gives Reeves an opportunity to return as Wick is a small but key role, where he helps the Director hunt down Eve. But wait, given that she serves as adoptive mother of both John and Eve, does that make the two assassins adoptive siblings? Regardless, it was a great call by the director (my money is on Stahelski) to also give Wick a short but incredible action sequence where he easily and casually takes down Eve (he is the Baba Yaga after all), and then takes down a group of assassins who stupidly think they can beat him. If there is one small flaw, it's that Ballerina unfolds in an almost linear fashion, where we see a young Eve, watch her train, follow her quest for revenge and watch as her family history is laid bare. There are some twists to the story, but it's rather rudimentary and nothing as inspiring or revelationary as in the main series. While the action is not an imitation of previous films in the series, it is a variant and there's no sense of danger, that she won't emerge victorious. It's not hard, when even the Boogeyman is on your side. Summary Ana de Armas slips into her ballet flats rather nicely, dishing out the same brand of violent revenge with her own level of finesse, but not following in the footsteps of anyone else. While she lacks the mythological reputation of the Boogeyman, we're clearly seeing the start of a killer character in the making. Story - 7/10 Direction - 7.5/10 Characterisation - 7/10 Geek Satisfaction - 8.5/10 Hsals needs more space in his house, and more money in his bank account to pay for all the toys, collectibles and other geek related items that companies are churning out. Free-time? Girlfriend? Who's got time for those? Ballerina From the World of John Wick: Ballerina John Wick Review
