'Top Gun 2' with Tom Cruise receives July 2019 release date

July 3 (UPI) -- Paramount has dated its long-discussed sequel to Top Gun starring a returning Tom Cruise for July 12, 2019.

Filmmaker Joseph Kosinski, who worked with Cruise on sci-fi drama Oblivion, is helming the sequel to the 1986 hit with Jerry Bruckheimer returning to produce, Deadline reported.

"Excited to make it official. Joe Kosinski is on board to direct. And Top Gun is coming to theaters July 12, 2019," Bruckheimer wrote on Twitter alongside a photo of Cruise from the original film.

The film was put on hold following the death of original director Tony Scott who was set to return behind the camera.

The sequel will follow Cruise's character Maverick who is dealing with the rise of drone technology that is making his style of jet fighter flying obsolete, noted The Hollywood Reporter.

Recently, Cruise said the project would retain the same tone as the first film and would be titled Top Gun: Maverick.

"Stylistically, it is going to be the same. We're going to have the same score," the actor said. "Aviators are back. The need for speed. We're going to have big, fast machines. ... It's going to be a competition film like the first one and it is going to be in the same vein, the same tone as the first one, but a progression for [my character] Maverick. It's not going to be called Top Gun 2. It's called Top Gun: Maverick. I didn't want a number."