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Top Gun 3 and Star Trek Lead Paramount’s Big Screen Plans After Skydance Merger
The ink is barely dry on the Paramount-Skydance merger, and the newly formed entertainment powerhouse is wasting no time flexing its cinematic muscle. Under the leadership of Skydance founder David Ellison and a revamped executive team, Paramount is doubling down on its theatrical slate, prioritizing high-profile franchises and fresh projects to reassert its dominance in Hollywood. Drawing from recent reports, here’s a look at the studio’s top movie priorities as it charts a bold course forward.
First up, Top Gun 3 is a cornerstone of Paramount’s plans. The 2022 blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick was a global phenomenon, grossing $1.29 billion domestically and $2.6 billion worldwide, with Skydance co-financing half the project. Naturally, a third installment is a no-brainer. While Tom Cruise, the franchise’s star and producer, has been tied up with Mission: Impossible, reports indicate that a script by F1’s Ehren Krueger is in development. With Cruise now eyeing his next move, expect momentum on Top Gun 3 to accelerate, aiming to recapture the high-flying magic that made Maverick a cinematic juggernaut.
Spock and Kirk from the Abrams-verse Star Trek
The Star Trek franchise is another major focus, though it carries a fairly complex legacy. Paramount has faced headwinds with recent Star Trek offerings, particularly the so-called “Nu-Trek” era, which includes TV series like Star Trek: Discovery and Picard. Many longtime fans have criticized these projects for what they see as woke progressivism, sloppy storytelling, and a disregard for established canon, leading to a fractured fanbase.
The 2013 film Star Trek Into Darkness, produced by Ellison, also divided fans, with many calling it weak, derivative, and poorly written, particularly for its reliance on recycled elements from earlier films. Despite this, Ellison is pushing forward with two cinematic projects: a fresh story featuring new characters, directed by Andor’s Toby Haynes, written by Seth Grahame-Smith, and produced by J.J. Abrams and Simon Kinberg; and a return of the divisive Kelvin-timeline crew—Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise—penned by Steve Yockey with Abrams producing. These films aim to bridge the gap between loyalists and new viewers, but Paramount will need to address fan concerns about storytelling and canon to restore the fanbase’s faith.
Beyond these tentpoles, Paramount is diving into other franchises and original projects. Transformers is getting a multi-pronged push, building on the 2023 live-action reboot Transformers: Rise of the Beasts ($442 million globally) and the animated Transformers One. Three scripts are in the works, one of which might see Michael Bay return to the director’s chair. Meanwhile, A Quiet Place Part III, slated for summer 2027, will see John Krasinski back to write and direct, though casting details remain under wraps. The studio is also fast-tracking a sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, set for September 2027, with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg producing.
Seth Rogen’s TMNT: Mutant Mayhem
On the original front, Paramount’s recent acquisition of High Side, a Timothée Chalamet-James Mangold package, sent a clear message: the studio is ready to bet big on A-list talent and bold ideas. Another project, The Rescue, starring 1923’s Brandon Sklenar, is gaining traction due to its ties to the current regime. Skydance’s existing development slate, including an untitled John Tuggle film with Superman star David Corenswet and a Mike Hammer adaptation starring Matthew McConaughey, is also being folded into Paramount’s priorities.
Darren McGavin as Mike Hammer in 1958’s The Paper Shroud
The merger has given Paramount a financial shot in the arm, addressing years of cash constraints that limited its output to 11-14 films annually. AMC’s Adam Aron noted Skydance’s deep pockets could mean more movies hitting theaters, a sentiment echoed by Ellison’s team, which is focused on keeping the “upside” on major projects like Top Gun and Star Trek in-house rather than co-financing. This shift suggests a strategy to maximize returns on big bets while exploring co-financing for riskier mid-budget films.
Ellison’s vision extends beyond the big screen. He’s emphasized a “tech-forward” approach, exploring streaming partnerships to complement Paramount’s theatrical focus. While Paramount+ will continue to grow—August 2025 alone sees heavyweights like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Goodrich hitting the platform—the studio is committed to theaters as the primary driver of its brand.
Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison
Paramount’s 2025-2026 slate is already packed, with titles like Roofman (October 2025), The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (December 2025), Scream 7 (February 2026), and Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. The studio’s inherited production deals with talent like Ryan Reynolds, Damien Chazelle, and John Krasinski, plus genre label 18hz, give it a deep bench to draw from.
The road ahead isn’t without challenges. Paramount lost Marvel to Disney in 2009, and the industry is still navigating post-COVID theatrical realities. But with Ellison’s track record—Skydance’s fingerprints were all over Maverick’s success—and a clear focus on crowd-pleasers like Top Gun 3 and Star Trek, Paramount is positioning itself as a studio that can deliver both spectacle and substance. Whether it’s soaring jets, starship voyages, or new stories from Hollywood’s brightest, Paramount’s post-merger priorities are a high-stakes bet on the power of the big screen.The post Top Gun 3 and Star Trek Lead Paramount’s Big Screen Plans After Skydance Merger first appeared on Worth it or Woke.
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