Tom Cruise is officially back in the danger zone as production is underway on Top Gun 2. The sequel has been kicking around Hollywood for quite some time, but the right combination of timing, personal and story finally came together and now the project is on its way to becoming a reality. Mark your calendars, because the sequel arrives in theaters on July 12, 2019.

The announcement came from Tom Cruise himself. The actor made the announcement by posting a photo of himself, back in the pilot suit on a runway with a fighter jet, almost like he never left. The photo features the text "feel the need" over it, which recalls one of the most famous lines from the original Top Gun. The photo doesn't tell us much and Paramount has been pretty tight-lipped about the sequel up to this point as well, but this at least lets us know that this is really happening. The real question; can they get Kenny Loggins back?

While it certainly appears as though filming has commenced, not much else is known about the sequel, which is officially titled Top Gun: Maverick. Paramount hasn't released any additional details beyond this photo, so we don't have a plot synopsis or even any other cast members to give us some idea of what to expect. However, with the train now rolling down the tracks, we should be able to expect some more official details in the very near future. Val Kilmer has expressed interest in returning as Iceman, but it's unclear at the present time if he, or any of the other cast members from the original will return.

Top Gun 2 was originally going to be helmed by Tony Scott, who directed the original. Unfortunately, Scott passed away in 2012, which is partially why this movie didn't happen sooner. But last year Tom Cruise tapped Oblivion and Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski to step in and fill those big shoes. The movie will center on fighter pilots dealing with increasingly advanced technology, such as drones, that are threatening to make their job obsolete. Harold Faltermeyer, who scored Top Gun, is reportedly returning to compose the music for the sequel, which should help it feel like we never left the 80s.

The original movie was released in 1986 and centered on pilots in the Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School, where the best of the best train to refine their elite flying skills. The movie was an absolutely massive success at the box office, bringing in $356.8 million and helped cement Tom Cruise as a superstar. But it's been more than three decades and we've seen that long-delayed sequels such as this can often falter upon release. Can Top Gun: Maverick be the exception to the rule? We'll know next summer when Paramount releases it. For now, be sure to check out the first photo from the movie from Tom Cruise's Twitter account for yourself below.