Tom Cruise On Tony Scott: 'A Creative Visionary'

Tom Cruise Reacts To Tony Scott's Passing

Tom Cruise has released a statement on the passing of director Tony Scott.

Scott directed Cruise in "Top Gun," a film which transformed Cruise's career and made him an undeniable player in Hollywood.

"Tony was my dear friend and I will really miss him," Cruise wrote. "He was a creative visionary whose mark on film is immeasurable. My deepest sorrow and thoughts are with his family at this time."

A sequel for "Top Gun" was already set, with Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions aiming for a 2014 release. Filming was expected to begin in early 2013. Cruise was slated to reprise his role as Maverick.

THR reports that Cruise and Scott were meeting about "Top Gun 2" as late as Friday. The two had apparently toured a Naval air base in Nevada.

Scott died Sunday. He was 68 years old, and his death is being investigated as a suicide. The director jumped from a bridge in Los Angeles. A note listing contact information was found in his car, and a letter to his family was found in his office.

As the man behind not only "Top Gun" but also "Crimson Tide," "Days of Thunder" and "True Romance," Scott was known for making action movies that appealed to a wide range of sensibilities. HuffPost Entertainment Senior Writer Mike Ryan remembered Scott's films as the only movies both Ryan and his father appreciated at the same time.

An as of yet unconfirmed report claims that Scott was suffering from inoperable brain cancer. UPDATE: TMZ is reporting that a source close to the family has told them earlier claims that Scott was fighting cancer are false.

Scott was fellow director Ridley Scott's younger brother.

Filmmaker reactions to Scott's passing are available in the gallery below.

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