Tom Cruise had the chance to make a Risky Business sequel but eventually decided against making one.

Sequels of a successful media franchise can turn out to be risky endeavors as we have witnessed in the past. Many franchises have gone on to make sequels that only ruin their masterpiece of a movie or legacy. The Hollywood star, Tom Cruise is also not a big fan of making sequels with the Mission Impossible franchise being the biggest exception of the star’s career.

Tom Cruise as Agent Ethan Hunt | Source: Mission Impossible: Fallout

Tom Cruise wasn’t initially interested in making a Top Gun sequel as well

Tom Cruise will definitely go down in history as one of the greatest action stars of all time. The American actor is one of the most established stars in the industry and has won multiple accolades including 3 Golden Globe awards throughout his career spanning over four decades.

Cruise is most well known for his portrayal of Agent Ethan Hunt in the Mission Impossible franchise. Although the Rain Man actor has reprised this particular role in seven movies, he has had a history of not wanting to make sequels.

One of the most famous roles of Tom Cruise came when the actor portrayed the role of Lt. Pete Maverick in the action drama movie, Top Gun back in 1986. Maverick is an aviator for the American Navy in the film and Top Gun still remains one of the most critically acclaimed movies of his career. Although Cruise eventually did reprise his role as Maverick 3 decades later in the sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, the actor still had his fair share of doubts about it.

Tom Cruise wasn’t interested in making a Top Gun sequel either | Source: Top Gun: Maverick
Once in an interview with Playboy Magazine back in 1990, Tom Cruise opened up about why he did not want to make a Top Gun sequel and said,

“OK, some people felt that Top Gun was a right-wing film to promote the Navy. And a lot of kids loved it. But I want the kids to know that that’s not the way war is—that Top Gun was just an amusement park ride, a fun film with a PG-13 rating that was not supposed to be reality.

That’s why I didn’t go on and make Top Gun II and III and IV and V. That would have been irresponsible.” (via Gizmodo)

Had it not been for the director Joseph Kosinski flying to Paris to pitch Top Gun: Maverick to Tom Cruise in person, we might not have gotten a Top Gun sequel after all.

Tom Cruise opens up about a Risky Business sequel

Tom Cruise portrayed the role of Joel Goodsen in the comedy movie, Risky Business back in 1983 which is popularly considered as the breakout role of the iconic actor. Other than an incredible plot, the film also had impeccable comic timings that made it a massive success after its release.

Once in an interview with Learning with Jojo, Tom Cruise was asked if there was a possibility of a Risky Business sequel being made in the future and the actor revealed that he was asked to make a sequel once, and he turned it down. Cruise said,

“Years after they wanted to do it, and I wasn’t ready to do it. I don’t know what that story’d be actually.”

Tom Cruise once turned down a Risky Business sequel | Source: Risky Business
It is tough to even imagine a story for Risky Business 2 at this point in time given how more than 4 decades have passed since the release of the original film.

Risky Business was a massive commercial success on its release as the movie went on to gross almost $63 million against a production budget of $6 million. The film was also a huge critical success as it largely received positive reviews from fans and critics alike.

Risky Business is currently available for rent on Apple TV+.