Last December, Tom Cruise returned to big screen stardom in the fourth Mission: Impossible movie.  The big budget actioner not only attracted stellar reviews, but huge audiences as well signaling the beginning of a resurgence for the 50-year-old actor’s career.  While he became attached to a number of high profile projects, nothing symbolized his rise back to A-list status more than when Paramount announced they were gearing up for a sequel to the 1986 classic Top Gun.

Unfortunately, the director of the original, Tony Scott, passed away over the weekend leaving Hollywood shell-shocked.  Ordinarily this would have zero impact on a retread 26 years out of production; however, it was evident that Scott was going to be the man in the chair for this one.  There is no telling what kind of impact this will ultimately have on the movie although it is safe to say that it will be given back-burner status. Continue Reading