Exciting news for Tom Cruise fans as the action star is set to reprise his role as Navy pilot Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in the greenlit Top Gun 3. According to media reports, Paramount is in the early stages of developing the third instalment, with Ehren Kruger, co-writer of Top Gun: Maverick, working on the script.

Top Gun 3 is expected to bring back familiar faces, including Miles Teller and Glen Powell, along with producers Jerry Bruckheimer and David Ellison. Joe Kosinski, the director of Top Gun: Maverick, is reported to either direct or produce the upcoming instalment. Currently, Tom Cruise is occupied with Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 2, and production for Top Gun 3 is slated to commence after Mission: Impossible 8.

The last Top Gun instalment, Maverick (2022), stands as Tom Cruise’s highest-grossing movie, earning $1.49 billion. It also received critical acclaim, winning an Oscar for Best Sound and garnering six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

In a recent development, Warner Bros announced a non-exclusive deal with Cruise to jointly develop and produce original and franchise theatrical films. However, Top Gun remains under the ownership of Paramount, the studio overseeing Top Gun 3, which is anticipated to be Cruise’s next film.

Paramount also holds the rights to the Mission: Impossible series, including the delayed eighth instalment, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part Two, directed by Christopher McQuarrie and set for a May 2025 theatrical release.

Lodging a strong protest against a visit by the British High Commissioner in Islamabad to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Ministry of External Affairs has said that the infringement on India’s territorial integrity is unacceptable, and reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir has been and shall always remain an integral part of the country. 

Reacting to the visit by British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, the ministry said on Saturday, “India has taken a serious note of the highly objectionable visit of the British High Commissioner in Islamabad, along with a UK Foreign Office official, to Pakistan occupied Kashmir on 10 January 2024. Such infringement of India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is unacceptable.”

“Foreign Secretary has lodged a strong protest with the British High Commissioner in India on this infringement. The Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are, have been and shall always remain an integral part of India,” the ministry said.

Sharing some photos from her visit to Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Ms Marriott had posted on X, “Salaam from Mirpur, the heart of the UK and Pakistan’s people-to-people ties! 70% of British Pakistani roots are from Mirpur, making our work together crucial for diaspora interests. Thank you for your hospitality!”

Salaam from Mirpur, the heart of the UK and Pakistan’s people to people ties! 70% of British Pakistani roots are from Mirpur, making our work together crucial for diaspora interests. Thank you for your hospitality! pic.twitter.com/3LyNFQan9H

— Jane Marriott (@JaneMarriottUK) January 10, 2024

The handle of the British High Commission in Pakistan also shared a video of Ms Marriott’s visit to the area, which showed her going to a bakery and interacting with district officials.

In October last year, India had raised its concerns with the US over the visit of American Ambassador to Islamabad, Donald Blome, to Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Ministry of External Affairs had called on the world community to respect the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The US ambassador had visited Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir in 2022 as well.

Speaking in Parliament in December, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said 24 seats have been reserved in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, emphasising that “PoK is ours”.

Director Hansal Mehta has responded to National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah’s criticism of filming of a show in the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly complex, saying that such an “unwelcoming attitude” is the reason why India is considered an “unfriendly shooting location”.

Mr Abdullah, the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of J&K, had on Friday criticised the Jammu and Kashmir administration for allowing the shooting of Huma Qureshi-starrer “Maharani” inside the assembly complex and called it an “absolute shame”.

Mr Mehta, the maker of critically-acclaimed series like “Scam 1992” and “Scoop”, replied to Abdullah’s post on X, calling it “disrespectful” and “regressive”.

“Why is it a shame? How is filming of a drama demeaning democracy or the ‘mother of democracy’? Every body on a film set including actors, background actors (called ‘extras’ by you) are all citizens of this country and have every right to work with dignity and deserve respect and understanding- at least from somebody as educated as yourself,” the filmmaker said.

In countries around the world, filmmakers and actors are allowed to use public places, government buildings and council halls for shooting, Mr Mehta added.

“It is because of this unwelcoming attitude that India is considered an unfriendly shooting location and we often prefer shooting abroad. I have great respect for you but this feels very disrespectful, regressive and myopic,” the filmmaker said.

Why is it a shame? How is filming of a drama demeaning democracy or the ‘mother of democracy’? Every body on a film set including actors, background actors(called ‘extras’ by you) are all citizens of this country and have every right to work with dignity and deserve respect and… https://t.co/JlvalzhhU1

— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) January 12, 2024

“Maharani”, created by Subhash Kapoor, was shot inside the assembly complex in Jammu in June last year. The series is inspired by political turns in Bihar in the 1990s when the then chief minister Lalu Prasad, mired in the infamous fodder scam, installed his wife Rabri Devi as his successor.

In his post on X, Mr Abdullah had said, “The true face of ‘the mother of democracy’, where once elected representatives of the people from all parties, religions, backgrounds & parts of J&K legislated on matters of great importance now actors & extras use it as a set for TV dramas.”

He said it was a “shame that the BJP driven government in J&K has reduced the symbol of democracy, where they once sat and governed, to this sorry state of affairs”.

Mr Abdullah further wrote, “They even have a fake CM coming out of an office I was privileged to occupy for 6 years. What an absolute shame!!!!” The J-K legislative assembly was dissolved by the Governor on December 20, 2018.

The true face of “the mother of democracy”, where once elected representatives of the people from all parties, religions, backgrounds & parts of J&K legislated on matters of great importance now actors & extras use it as a set for TV dramas. What a shame that the BJP driven… pic.twitter.com/kukyD0cQgt

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) January 12, 2024

There have been no assembly elections in J-K which was bifurcated into two Union territories – J-K and Ladakh – on August 5, 2019. The Centre also annulled Article 370 of the Constitution which accorded a special status to the erstwhile state. Ladakh is a Union Territory without assembly.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)