Tom Cruise is looking to step back into a high-speed vehicle for another legacy sequel, but this time it’s not the cockpit of a MiG jet, but the chassis of a NASCAR for a follow-up to his mundane motorsport movie Days of Thunder.
Released in 1990, Days of Thunder’s reception was somewhat middle-of-the-road. The $60 million budgeted film only grossed $157 million worldwide, and received a bit of a critical drubbing for its two-dimensional characters and clunky dialogue.
Now, almost a quarter of a century later The Hollywood Reporter reveal that Paramount Pictures and Tom Cruise are hoping to replicate the success of Top Gun: Maverick by returning to the circuit for Days of Thunder 2.
While a sequel to the $1.5 billion grossing Top Gun remains a priority for star and studio, sources reveal that they are actively courting scripts for the follow-up to Tony Scott’s racing film.
In the original Cruise played the wonderfully named Cole Trickle, a hot-shot driver whose rivalry with veteran racer Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker) culminates in a huge crash, which leads to the foes becoming friends. Buoyed by a romance with Nicole Kidman’s neurosurgeon, Cole decides to race Rowdy’s car in the iconic Daytona 500 race against dastardly newcomer Russ Wheeler (Cary Elwes).
SEE ALSO: The Essential Tony Scott Movies
All of this depends on whether Cruise approves the script, and can still find time in a busy schedule that includes Doug Liman’s space movie, Mission: Impossible 8 and its inevitable reshoots, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s untitled film for Warner Bros.
Let us know whether you’re a fan of Days of Thunder and if you’d be excited about a sequel by heading to our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
