A sequel to Tom Cruise's classic 1986 film Top Gun has been put on hold following director Tony Scott's suicide.

Bosses at Paramount Pictures approached Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer with a view to developing Top Gun 2 in 2010 and The Town screenwriter Peter Craig was hired to pen the script.

Scott and Cruise went so far as to scout potential filming locations in Fallon, Nevada over the summer, but tragedy struck on August 19 when the celebrated director jumped to his death from a bridge in California, prompting movie chiefs to temporarily shelve the project out of respect for Scott's legacy.

And now executives at Paramount are considering ditching the sequel altogether so as not to exploit Scott's death or appear insensitive to family members and fans, reports the New York Times.