TOP GUN 3 and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 6 Are in a “Horse Race” as Jerry Bruckheimer Teases Script Update
If you’ve been wondering which mega-franchise will hit the runway first, Top Gun 3 or Pirates of the Caribbean 6, producer Jerry Bruckheimer just offered an update that should get fans of both series fired up. According to him, it’s basically a coin toss at this point, though one project has a slight edge.
In a recent chat with Entertainment Tonight, Bruckheimer shared where things currently stand with the two long-awaited sequels.
"I think it's a horse race between the two of them, so we'll see. Right now, Top Gun is a hair ahead, but that's it. We're expecting a script shortly."
That’s a pretty solid sign of forward momentum for Top Gun 3. After Top Gun: Maverick dominated theaters in 2022 and reminded everyone why theatrical blockbusters still matter, a third film felt almost inevitable. The sequel didn’t just rake in cash, it reignited love for high-speed aerial action and practical stunt work.
Miles Teller, who played Rooster in Maverick, previously revealed that he had been actively pitching ideas for a third movie centered around his character. He also confirmed that he’d had conversations with Tom Cruise about where the story could go next.
In 2024, the studio officially greenlit the project, and by 2025, Christopher McQuarrie confirmed he was working on the script. Now, with Bruckheimer saying they’re expecting a draft soon, it sounds like the jets are warming up.
At the same time, Pirates of the Caribbean 6 hasn’t drifted off into the Bermuda Triangle. It’s just had a more complicated voyage.
The sixth installment was first announced back in 2017 after Dead Men Tell No Tales hit theaters. Kaya Scodelario said at the time that she was contracted to return. In 2018, Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick boarded the project to write the screenplay, but they exited in 2019, leaving the future of the franchise murky.
Then in 2024, Bruckheimer revealed that two different Pirates films were in development. One version was set to star Margot Robbie, signaling a potential new direction for the swashbuckling saga.
At the same time, he indicated that the sixth main installment would bring back familiar characters from the original series. Exactly who that includes remains under wraps, but longtime fans are clearly hoping for some classic faces to return to the high seas.
So where does that leave us? According to Bruckheimer, Top Gun 3 is slightly ahead in development, but not by much. It really is a “horse race,” and whichever script locks in first could determine what we see next: fighter jets screaming across the sky or pirate ships clashing in cannon fire.
Either way, both franchises are very much alive.