Tony Scott Commits Suicide – Top Gun Producer Director Jumps Off San Pedro Bridge

3RD UPDATE, WRITETHRU: A source close to the Scott family just confirmed to Deadline that famed movie director and TV producer Tony Scott “has passed away. We ask that the family’s privacy be respected at this time.” Hollywood is shocked by this tragic news that he committed suicide because British-born Scott was well-liked personally and professionally and had a lauded and thriving career. “He was the loveliest guy. Genuinely,” a family friend tells Deadline. “He was one of the good ones.” Scott was best known for classic action films like Top Gun, Days Of Thunder, Beverly Hills Cop II, True Romance, and Crimson Tide, and the most recent Unstoppable. He also is a credited producer on this summer’s Fox blockbuster Prometheus directed by his brother Ridley Scott.

According to insiders who’d just spoken to Tony Scott last week, he was busy developing a Top Gun sequel re-teaming with Tom Cruise and producer Jerry Bruckheimer despite a 25-plus-year gap between movies. Paramount confirmed to Deadline tonight that Scott was still attached to direct, and just on Friday Cruise was touring the naval Air Station nearby Fallon, Nevada, as part of prep work. But before that project Scott planned to direct as his next movie the drug-centric action thriller Narco Sub based on a spec script by David Guggenheim for Twentieth Century Fox. Scott also was trying to make Hells Angels, The Movie happen.

Both Scott brothers through their busy LA-based Scott Free Productions also have the A&E miniseries Coma scheduled to premiere on September 3rd, as well as Season 4 of CBS’ The Good Wife.

The LAPD tells Deadline it received a 911 call at 12:35 PM today about a man who jumped off the Vincent Thomas Bridge in Los Angeles County spanning San Pedro and Terminal Island. The body of the man was recovered from the water at approximately 3 PM by the Los Angeles Port Police. The Coroner’s Office identified the man as Anthony Davis Scott, 68, who resides in Beverly Hills, according to Watch Commander Lt Timothy Nordquist of LAPD Harbour Area division talking to Deadline. Lt. Nordquist also said that Scott “seemed to be alone”. The Coroner’s Office told Deadline Scott’s death is being investigated as a suicide with no indication it was anything but a suicide.

Unconfirmed news reports say officials found a note listing contact information inside his black Toyota Prius parked on an eastbound lane of the cable-suspension bridge, and a suicide note was at his Los Angeles office. News of Scott’s jump to his death was first reported by the local Daily Breeze newspaper. It wrote Scott climbed a fence on the south side of the bridge’s apex and leaped “without hesitation” around 12:30 PM. Earlier today Deadline was alerted that “an older gentlemen who people recognized from either movies and/or TV tried to jump off a pier” and that the attempt was not successful.