- Tom Cruise and Paramount are exploring a long-awaited Days of Thunder sequel.
- A television reboot of the iconic 1990 NASCAR racing film has previously been pitched, but ultimately vetoed by Cruise himself.
- Days of Thunder directed by the late Tony Scott, while not particularly successful during its box office run ($60 million budget against $157 million globally), is a cult classic.
Apple’s upcoming Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt may have some stiff competition as The Hollywood Reporter reveals Tom Cruise is currently discussing a Days of Thunder sequel with Paramount.
The project at hand is being weighed up by the 62-year-old action star and his longtime studio of choice against the future of the freshly-revived Top Gun franchise; with potential writers being enlisted as we speak to craft a story.
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“It’s going to be what comes together first in terms of a script. It depends on the idea and, ultimately, the script,” explained a well-placed insider from Paramount.
The source added: “I don’t think a [Days of Thunder sequel] is a terrible idea. You might have said that revisiting Top Gun was a terrible idea. I wouldn’t discount it.”
Of course, this isn’t Paramount’s first attempt at a follow-up to the beloved NASCAR flick: a Days of Thunder reboot series for Paramount+ had previously been pitched, but ultimately fell apart when Tom Cruise — who famously retains script approval over all his projects — pulled the plug.
Screenplay quality check aside, Cruise has more than a few items to tick off his to-do list before he can commit to another nostalgia-backed sequel.
Having only recently wrapped Mission: Impossible 8 with Christopher McQuarrie, the actor-producer powerhouse is now preparing to shoot a mysterious film for Warner Bros/Legendary with The Revenant director Alejandro G. Inarritu.
Then there’s the matter of the Universal picture set in actual space being helmed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow, American Made); and perhaps even the Tropic Thunder spin-off centred upon the Cruise career highlight that is Les Grossman.
A lot of ifs, buts, and maybes at this stage. However, the situation was no different in the lead-up to Top Gun: Maverick.
The original Days of Thunder, directed by Top Gun filmmaker Tony Scott, introduced audiences to Tom Cruise as Cole Trickle — a hot-headed NASCAR rookie who develops under the guidance of veteran driver and rival, Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker), as well as his seasoned crew chief Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall).
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It also introduced Cruise to his future wife and Eyes Wide Shut co-star Nicole Kidman, who portrayed Cole’s romantic interest: neurosurgeon Dr Claire Lewicki.
The legendary Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, the latter of whom is currently producing Apple’s aforementioned F1 movie with Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, also had a hand in the cult classic. Side note: F1 also has a remarkably similar-sounding synopsis, down to the veteran driver (Pitt) mentoring a young hotshot (Damson Idris).
Stay tuned for updates on the Days of Thunder sequel starring Tom Cruise.
