Three years after its box office triumph, Top Gun: Maverick is once again making headlines — this time for legal turbulence. Visual effects artist Shaun Gray has filed a lawsuit against Paramount Pictures, claiming he co-wrote key scenes for the Oscar-nominated blockbuster without receiving credit or compensation.
Shaun Gray Lawsuit: Claims of Uncredited Work on Top Gun: Maverick Script
Filed in April 2025, the Top Gun: Maverick lawsuit alleges that Shaun Gray collaborated closely with screenwriter Eric Warren Singer — who is also Gray’s cousin — and director Joseph Kosinski for five months on the film’s script. Gray contends that he crafted at least a dozen of the movie’s high-stakes action sequences, yet received no official recognition.
Gray, who is listed on IMDb as an uncredited writing consultant on Only the Brave and a writer’s assistant on The International, is seeking joint copyright ownership of Maverick. The film, released in 2022, earned more than $1.49 billion globally and received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay.
Paramount Responds: “Completely Without Merit”
Paramount Pictures has strongly denied the allegations. In a statement to IndieWire, a studio spokesperson called the lawsuit “completely without merit,” drawing parallels to a previously dismissed suit brought by Gray’s attorney, Marc Toberoff, on behalf of the family of Top Gun article author Ehud Yonay.
“We are confident that a court will reject this claim as well,” the spokesperson said, characterizing the lawsuit as another attempt to capitalize on the franchise’s success.
A Family Dispute or a Legitimate Claim?
Sources close to the production describe the situation as a family dispute between Gray and Singer, suggesting Gray was merely a writing assistant rather than a contributing screenwriter. However, former Navy fighter pilot and Maverick military advisor J.J. “Yank” Cummings previously named Gray as a key participant in early script sessions alongside Singer and Kosinski.
“In the early days, it was me, Eric, and Shaun,” Cummings told GQ in a 2022 interview. “We spent five days straight in a hotel room in San Diego going through the screenplay line by line.”
What This Means for Top Gun 3
Despite the controversy, the Top Gun franchise is far from grounded. Actor Glen Powell recently teased that Top Gun 3 is actively in development, though no official production timeline has been confirmed.
As the Top Gun: Maverick lawsuit progresses, it could set a precedent for how Hollywood credits collaborative screenwriting — especially in high-profile, franchise-driven films.
