‘Days of Thunder’ sequel gaining traction

A Days of Thunder sequel with Tom Cruise reprising his role as fictional NASCAR driver Cole Trickle appears to be getting closer.

According to Sports Business Journal, a Hollywood film writer has recently been meeting with NASCAR teams and drivers to develop a script for a potential sequel. This isn’t the first time a Days of Thunder sequel has been talked about. In the wake of his success with Top Gun: Maverick a few years ago, Cruise reportedly began pursuing the idea of similarly making a second Days of Thunder film.

Last year, film producer Jerry Bruckheimer also confirmed Cruise was seeking to make a sequel to the 1990 NASCAR film during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show. Bruckheimer more recently produced F1 with Brad Pitt, leading some to wonder if a crossover might be possible.

Sports Business Journal reports the Hollywood writer is believed to be Will Staples, who attended the Phoenix championship last November and the Daytona 500 earlier this year. NASCAR and Paramount declined to comment to SBJ.

In addition to Cruise, leading actors in the movie included Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid, and the late Robert Duvall, who played Trickle’s crew chief.

Days of Thunder may not have seemed like the ideal movie for a sequel, given that it received mixed reviews in 1990. One of the leading criticisms was that the storyline was too similar to Top Gun, which was a box office hit for Cruise just four years earlier. Now Cruise is looking to continue the similarities by following his success of Top Gun: Maverick with a potential sequel to Days of Thunder.

Despite its criticisms, Days of Thunder wasn’t a box-office bust, earning $157.9 million worldwide against a $60 million budget. Additionally, it has continued to develop somewhat of a cult following. But since Days of Thunder wasn’t the massive hit Top Gun was, developing a new concept and script might be easier, since it comes with a different expectation level.