The success of Top Gun: Maverick has given Tom Cruise the idea that he can revive another of his early action films. THR reports Cruise is plotting a sequel to his 1990 NASCAR racing thriller Days of Thunder. The actor is reportedly talking to Paramount about the idea, while also planning the future and possible end of his Mission: Impossible franchise.
Days of Thunder wasn’t exactly a huge hit when it was released. Directed by the late Tony Scott, the racing film starred Cruise as hotshot young racer Cole Trickle as he looks to make his name in NASCAR, facing down rivals and learning under the tutelage of more experienced racers. The film made $157M worldwide but reviews weren’t pretty, as it drew easy comparisons to Top Gun. “Top Gun on four wheels” I remember it being called at the time.
But it has also gained a cult following over the years as racing films have become more popular. Quentin Tarantino has called it “hands down” his favorite racing movie ever.
“He’s talking [to Paramount] about Top Gun and Days of Thunder,” said a studio insider. “It’s going to be what comes together first in terms of a script. It depends on the idea and, ultimately, the script.” (Cruise, sources say, has script approval over all of his projects).
A big problem is Cruise’s jam-packed schedule. He’s got Alejandro González Iñárritu’s mysterious new Warner Bros. project coming up, along with that Doug Liman movie to be shot in space. Remember that one? There’s also a Top Gun: Maverick sequel in the works.
Finally, Cruise faces questions about the future of Mission: Impossible. While the eighth film is finished, with a trailer debuting in a couple of weeks, Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning — Part One wasn’t a huge earner for Paramount due to the whopping $300M+ budget. That number has grown to $400M for the next movie, and is part of the reason Paramount is keen on promoting it as the final chapter. But will it turn out to be? That’s probably going to be up to Cruise.
