Sequels are all the rage in Hollywood as nostalgia and pop culture collide. And after the success of reviving the Top Gun franchise, it was only a matter of time until Tom Cruise waved the green flag for a Days of Thunder sequel.
In 1990, Cruise starred in the signature drama about NASCAR racing as upstart young driver Cole Trickle. Although it received mixed reviews at the time, the film was a modest box office success and has become a cult classic in the years that followed.
Reports about Tom Cruise trying to green-light a Days of Thunder sequel have been circulating for years. But after Top Gun: Maverick became a smash hit and F1 showed the appetite for racing on the silver screen, the film is finally getting close to becoming a reality.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Days of Thunder sequel is Cruise’s next production as he’s teaming with famed producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who was also part of the original. Jonathan Levine is slated to serve as director. He’s set to release another sports film this year: a biopic of John Tuggle, Mr. Irrelevant from the 1983 NFL Draft, who tragically died at 25 after being drafted by the New York Giants.
Tom Cruise has seen something of a career renaissance by living into some of his most famous roles. And a Days of Thunder sequel would hit the sweet spot: it would be completely fresh for an entirely new generation of moviegoers and NASCAR fans while being a huge nostalgia draw for older millennials and Gen Xers. Cruise is 64 years old, but if anyone can realistically pull off a veteran NASCAR driver holding on in the twilight of his career and competing against a new class of young drivers looking to knock him off his perch, it’s him.
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