Paramount Declines Renewing Deal With Jerry Bruckheimer

Mega producer Jerry Bruckheimer's longtime first-look deal with Paramount Pictures will not be renewed upon its current expiration in February. Bruckheimer, who first signed the deal with Paramount in 2013, will be a free agent following the expiration, according to a report from Variety, and it is unknown if he will be looking for a new studio or move to being a fully independent producer.

While at Paramount, Bruckheimer produced last year's Gemini Man starring Will Smith, though the big budget thriller was a box office disappointment. He also produced the eagerly anticipated upcoming Top Gun: Maverick. According to Variety's report, Bruckheimer has a number of upcoming projects in the works, including a Pirates of the Caribbean reboot as well as sequels to National Treasure, Beverly Hills Cop and several television projects as well.

Over the course of his career, Bruckheimer has been one of the most successful producers in Hollywood history, having been behind films such as Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, National Treasure, Top Gun, Bad Boys, and many more while on the television side he's been behind series such as CSI and its spinoffs, The Amazing Race and more.

As for his next film, Top Gun: Maverick, that film is set to debut in theaters on July 2, 2021. One of the film's stars, Miles Teller who is playing Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw the son of Goose, recently told Men's' Journal about the extensive flight training he had to undergo ahead of filming the movie.

"I had about three months of flight training before starting the movie," Teller shared. "That time was important to get comfortable with the crafts but also to build up our G-force tolerance, because all of the aerial elements were shot practically. The training started in a Cessna, and moved to an Extra 300, a single-prop aerobatics craft, where you start to improve your G-tolerance. From there we got into an L-39 Albatros, flying with these guys called The Patriots, who are the civilian equivalent to the Blue Angels."

He added, "Right off the bat, I am flying this f*cking plane myself with The Patriots in formation with three other planes around, which just felt insane. I had one jet right above me, so close, and then planes on both wings, then we did a loop while holding that formation. I was holding the stick, and I landed the plane as well. I stepped out of the craft and said, 'Guys, we just met, there is no way you should trust me that much.' I wouldn't have trusted me."

Top Gun: Maverick is now slated to be released on July 2, 2021.

Photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic