Filming on the South Shore for new movie: Could it be Top Gun 2: Maverick?

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - At the recent Tahoe Chamber Blue Ribbon Awards there was a slide in the presentation about the South Shore being a location in the filming of the sequel to Tom Cruise's epic Top Gun movie.

But since that day nobody can be found that can officially confirm this.

What we do know - there is filming at the Washoe Meadows State Park in Meyers. Crews have been preparing the area for a movie that will include low-flying helicopters on Friday, December 7 and Monday, December 10. There will be engineered non-toxic smoke involved and the helicopters will be based out of the Lake Tahoe Airport.

Residents in Meyers near the filming area received notices that said:

During prep and restoration, patrons to the Park will not be restricted in where they can go. We encourage everyone to go about their daily enjoyment of the Park. During filming, however, certain areas may be off-limits to the public. Park staff will be present during filming to maintain safety and access of the public while also providing and adequate filming environment.

The South Lake Tahoe Airport has been a base for those working on the film and signs directing those involved can be seen along Highway 50. The entrance of the airport at Highway 50 was closed for a while Sunday morning as a safety precaution for equipment to be transferred.

The memo circulated by a movie location company said the name of the movie is "Orpheum," but nothing can be found on movie sights about an upcoming movie by this name.

Permits have been obtained by all necessary agencies including Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), the FAA and Lahontan Water Board.

Clean up and restoration is scheduled for December 11-12.

What we do not know - Is it Tom Cruise and other stars of Top Gun 2 Maverick who are in South Lake Tahoe?

The film commissions of the California State Parks and El Dorado County said they cannot speak to the specifics of the movie, plot or stars involved in this week's filming at Washoe Meadows State Park. Movie location teams work with these two entities often when filming in Lake Tahoe and California.

Filming of the sequel to 1986's blockbuster Top Gun has reportedly commenced in San Diego, Coronado Island and the Naval Air Station in Lemoore. The movie website IMDb says Tom Cruise is back as Maverick and is joined by Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Val Kilmer, Jon Hamm and others, the movie is directed by Joseph Kosinski and will be released in 2020.

But nowhere does it show their shooting schedule.

South Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area has been used as the backdrop in many movies for almost 100 years. Will Rogers was here in 1930 to shoot the comedy Lightnin', Ralph Bellamy in the 1936 Straight from the Shoulder, and Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy filmed 1936's Rose-Marie on the South Shore. More recently there has been Smokin' Aces, City of Angels and the television show Modern Family.

No matter what movie is being filmed at Lake Tahoe, it's always fun to be a part of Hollywood and look for familiar spots when watching the movie.