Top Gun: Maverick breakout Lewis Pullman takes the wheel in a high-octane racing movie

Lewis Pullman, who you probably remember as the likeable lad from 'Top Gun: Maverick' and soon to be spotted in Marvel's 'Thunderbolts', is jumping from fighter jets to motorbikes in his next gig. He'll be starring in a motocross drama called 'Ragamuffin', with first-time feature director Kaitlyn Mikayla at the helm. Not exactly a typical career turn, but fair play – it sounds intriguing.

From Sundance Short to Feature Film

Here's how this one came about: Mikayla actually made a short version of 'Ragamuffin' that screened at Sundance earlier this year. Apparently, it impressed veteran producer David Permut enough to get him on board. Permut's got quite the CV, by the way – he's the bloke behind 'Face/Off', 'Struck by Lightning', and he was a producer on 'Hacksaw Ridge', which bagged a couple of Oscars and six nominations in all.

Who's Doing What?

• Lewis Pullman – playing 'Mad Mike', the lead role
• Kaitlyn Mikayla – directing, in her feature film debut, and adapting from her own short film
• David Permut – producing via Permut Presentations, alongside Alex Astrachan

The Story

The plot centres on Pullman's character, Mad Mike, and his 14-year-old daughter, who gets drawn into the motocross circuit for the summer tournament season. It’s the sort of coming-of-age, father-daughter drama, but with the added bonus of roaring engines and probably a fair bit of mud. If you’re wondering where the title comes from – it’s named after Mikayla’s own dad, so clearly it’s personal for her.

Mikayla has gone on record about casting Pullman, revealing just how much weight the role carries for her:

'Lewis brings a rare emotional depth and authenticity to every role he inhabits. Inspired by, and named after, my own father, finding the right actor carried enormous weight. Lewis has an extraordinary ability to communicate entire worlds beneath the surface, and I couldn't be more excited to have him bring Mad Mike to life on screen.'

Permut’s equally enthusiastic, calling Mikayla 'part of the next great generation of filmmakers' and saying it's a privilege to work with her. He also reckons the father-daughter relationship, combined with high-stakes motorsport, will make for quite the cinematic ride (I reserve judgement, but you can see why he's keen).

Where does it stand right now? Pre-production and financing are still ongoing, which means it’ll be a while before you see a trailer. There's no release date set yet, so keep your eyes peeled.