Tom Cruise waved to fans in London before boarding his helicopter (Image: CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
Tom Cruise took to the skies in London in a daring helicopter ride after the action movie star confirmed that a third Top Gun film is officially on the way.
The 63-year-old actor and stunt performer made a public appearance in London on Thursday, May 14, waving to fans before boarding his aircraft. The third installment in the hit 1986 franchise that launched Tom’s career as a box office heavy hitter was confirmed to be in production during CinemaCon 2026 on April 16.
Tom, who is reprising his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, took to the skies after it was announced the actor is set to receive an eye-watering $135 million payday.
The Eyes Wide Shut actor was photographed waving to fans as he made his way to his blacked-out Airbus H125 helicopter at the London Heliport.
Dressed in dark jeans and a casual blue shirt paired with aviator sunglasses, Tom boarded the aircraft and disappeared into the English sky after flashing a thumbs up to his adoring onlookers.
The Top Gun star is known for his high-octane stunt work (Image: CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
Tom has had his pilot license for over 30 years (Image: CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
Tom has been a licensed pilot since 1994 and regularly flies his private chopper across the United Kingdom, usually to and from filming locations and other business-related events.
He is also known to perform his own stunts, including risky aerial maneuvers, in many of his films, such as the Top Gun and Mission: Impossible franchises, which have raked in billions at the box office.
The original Top Gun made Tom a household name as an action star, while the 2022 sequel earned a record-breaking $1.5 billion worldwide, of which he pocketed over $100 million after serving as a producer.
Tom was spotted in the cockpit (Image: CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
Top Gun 3 was confirmed on April 16, 2026 (Image: CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
Top Gun 3 was confirmed in April during Paramount Studios’ presentation at CinemaCon 2026, an annual week-long event during which Hollywood studios preview their upcoming movie slates for theater owners, advertisers, and members of the press.
Paramount head honcho Josh Greenstein confirmed the movie was “officially in development with a script well underway,” adding that Tom would reunite with producer Jerry Bruckheimer for the third installment.
While Tom was not present during the announcement, he did lend his voice as the narrator of a short film screened at the event’s opening, which centered on Paramount’s commitment to continue releasing films on the big screen.
Tom is known to fly his helicopter to and from film sets (Image: CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
The actor owns a $47 million penthouse in London (Image: CLICK NEWS AND MEDIA)
The film is set to hit theaters in the summer of 2028, which means Tom will be eligible for nomination in the new Oscar category for Achievement in Stunt Design, which will make its debut at the 100th Academy Awards in 2028 for films released in 2027.
The Risky Business actor received an Academy Honorary Award at the 16th Governors Awards on November 16, 2025, honoring his 40-year career in Hollywood and marking his first Oscar win after four previous nominations, including two Best Actor nods.
Legendary director Steven Spielberg publicly credited Cruise with helping to get moviegoers back into theaters after the Covid-19 pandemic with the long-awaited sequel.
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