‘Top Gun 2’ targets ‘Jungle Book’ writer Justin Marks

“Top Gun 2” has its sights set on screenwriter Justin Marks.

Marks, who penned Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation of “The Jungle Book,” is in talks to retool the script for the long-in-the-making “Top Gun” sequel for Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions, The Times has confirmed. The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.

The sequel to the 1986 aerial adventure starring Tom Cruise as a cocky Navy ace has been a longtime passion project for producer Jerry Bruckheimer but was seemingly grounded after the 2012 suicide of Tony Scott, who directed the original film and was set to return.

In the wake of Scott’s death, Bruckheimer expressed hope that the project would fly again (with Cruise back in the cockpit), telling The Times, “I’m still trying to get it off the ground.”

The script for “Top Gun 2” was previously worked on by Christopher McQuarrie (“The Usual Suspects”) and Peter Craig (“The Town”) and is said to explore the use of drones in modern warfare and whether old-school flesh-and-blood pilots can still keep up.

Bruckheimer is to produce the sequel with David Ellison of Skydance, with Dana Goldberg serving as executive producer.

It’s still a ways from being cleared for takeoff, but for now “Top Gun 2” appears to be back on the runway.

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