With a Hollywood career that stretches back over 45 years, and $18 billion in box office receipts, Jerry Bruckheimer is one of the first names audiences think of when they hear the word producer.
But even though Bruckheimer turned 74 back in September he has no intention of slowing down. Not only did “Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” thrive in the summer, but “12 Strong” is released towards the end of the month, and he has “Gemini Man,” starring Will Smith, in the pipeline, too.
There are two Bruckheimer projects that films fans are particularly interested in, though, as long touted sequels to “Bad Boys 2” and “Top Gun” are in different stages of development. Over the weekend I had the opportunity to talk to Bruckheimer about “12 Strong,” and towards the end of our chat I asked him about both films.
First off, Bruckheimer spoke about “Bad Boys 3.” The follow-up to the the bombastic 2003 blockbuster was originally rumored back in 2008, but it wasn’t until 2015 that fans really took interest, as Sony announced a release date of February, 2017.
Unfortunately, the film has repeatedly been pushed back, and most recently proposed director Joe Carnahan left the film. Then in August, 2017, Martin Lawrence said it wouldn’t be happening.
No-one told that to Jerry Bruckheimer, though, because when I asked whether “Bad Boys 3” was still likely he responded, “I think so. Will [Smith] would like to make it. Sony would like to make it.”
Bruckheimer then instantly segued into the topic of “Top Gun: Maverick,” though, declaring, “I am also working on ‘Top Gun.’ Tom is very excited about it, we have an excellent director in Joe Kosinski. So that one is moving forward.”
“Top Gun: Marverick” already has a confirmed release date of July 19, 2019, and it had previously been revealed that production would begin in January or February of 2018.
When I asked Bruckheimer if that was still the case he responded, “I think it will be a little delayed, because Tom had a little accident shooting Mission: Impossible. But that’s not going to change anything for us. We’re just going to start a little later, and hopefully get it into theaters when they expect it to be there.”
As “Top Gun” was released all the way back in 1986, and the sequel will hit cinemas 33 years after the original, Bruckheimer looked to specifically praise the sequel’s new screenwriters for providing a modern take on the characters and world.
“We have screenwriters who weren’t even born when the first movie came out. They have a whole fresh take on it. Ehren Kruger is working on the script, and he’s a young guy, and a fantastic writer. I rely on the young kids in the industry to keep it fresh.”
Audiences still have 18 months to wait for “Top Gun: Maverick,” though. In the meantime they should check out Bruckheimer’s latest film “12 Strong,” which will be released on January 19.
