All the details we know about the upcoming 'Top Gun' sequel starring Tom Cruise

A "Top Gun" sequel has been in development since 2010, when Paramount Pictures made offers to Jerry Bruckheimer and Tony Scott, the original film's producer and director.

The film was shelved temporarily when Scott committed suicide in 2012 after being diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer.

In 2013, Bruckheimer said that he was still planning to produce a sequel, and Cruise and Kilmer subsequently expressed interest in reprising their roles.

The sequel started filming in May of this year, and it's set for release on July 12, 2019.

Deadline reported on Thursday that Jon Hamm, Ed Harris, and Lewis Pullman would join a supporting cast that includes Glen Powell, Jennifer Connelly, and Miles Teller.

Rounding out the cast are Charles Parnell, Jay Ellis, Bashir Salahuddin, Danny Ramirez, and Monica Barbaro.

Variety reported that the sequel started filming in late May, after Cruise shared a photo on Instagram with the caption "Day 1."

In the post, Cruise's Maverick stares down a fighter jet at the end of a tarmac. It features the text "Feel the need," in reference to the original film's frequently quoted line, "I feel the need – the need for speed."

Variety said the film would "explore a world of drone technology, fifth-generation fighters and the end of the era of dog-fighting."

CNN reported on Wednesday that the crew for "Top Gun: Maverick" was shooting aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier off the coast of Virginia.

"The Navy is supporting one shoot this week aboard USS Abraham Lincoln, per a Production Assistance Agreement signed by Paramount and the Department of Defense," Navy spokesperson Lt. Cdr. Daniel Day told CNN.

"Our priority will always be warfighting, and training combat-ready Naval aviation forces," Day continued. "That being said, we believe we can support the film and simultaneously achieve training objectives."