With his previous legacy sequel proving to be a runaway critical and commercial hit, Tom Cruise is eyeing a legacy sequel to Days of Thunder. The 1990 sports drama about a hot-shot racecar driver getting to join NASCAR saw Cruise reunite with his Top Gun director Tony Scott and producing duo Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson. Similar to their prior movie, to which it was frequently compared, Days of Thunder garnered largely mixed reviews from critics, but was a box office success and has garnered a cult following in the years since.
The Hollywood Reporter has brought word that Cruise is in early development on a Days of Thunder sequel with Paramount. The move comes just over two years after he and the studio finally released Top Gun: Maverick to much fanfare, with the studio currently in talks with both the producer/star and various writers in order to develop the story and script. Sources report that the sequel hinges on Cruise’s schedule, and his approval of the idea and script of the potential follow-up.
What This Means For The Days Of Thunder Sequel
There’s Still A Long Road Ahead For It To Get Made
While his success with Top Gun: Maverick does make sense for him to revisit the property to some degree, Cruise returning for Days of Thunder 2 is still a long way from actually happening. Arguably the biggest factor in the movie’s overall chances of happening is the producer/star’s busy schedule, currently set up for three different movies, one of them being Top Gun 3, which the above report also says is a “top priority” for both Cruise and Paramount.
Beyond Top Gun, Cruise is also attached to Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s mystery movie at Warner Bros., which is expected to begin filming between the time of writing and next month, and reuniting with Doug Liman for an action movie shot in space. The former project is also deemed a major one for him as it’s not only his first with the studio in a decade, but is also part of his new first-look deal with Warner Bros. to produce original and franchise films. One such franchise movie is expected to be the long-awaited Edge of Tomorrow 2, which he and Liman have also been toying with for years.
Aside from his schedule, which also includes the upcoming Mission: Impossible 8, Cruise’s approval for scripts will also be a key factor in Days of Thunder 2’s development, which could actually lead to a similarly long wait as Top Gun: Maverick. Considering the 2022 sequel was co-written by Cruise’s longtime collaborator Christopher McQuarrie, it may actually behoove both him and the studio to consider turning to the Mission: Impossible vet for a pitch. Even if he doesn’t write the sequel, having him develop the story could set up another writer and filmmaker for success.
Our Take On Days Of Thunder’s Potential Sequel
Cruise Really Shouldn’t Rush It
As much as the long wait for Top Gun: Maverick’s release may have become something of a running concern with the already-extensive gap from its predecessor, Cruise’s push for it to be in theaters was ultimately the right call as it proved more than worth the wait. Therefore, if Days of Thunder 2 does in fact move forward, it’s important that he takes the same patient approach to developing the sequel as he did Top Gun.
This feels even more prudent considering the first Days of Thunder is not generally regarded as highly as Top Gun, even by audiences, who only gave it a 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, a far cry from the latter movie’s 83%. Forcing a sequel to it would prove more disappointing if it can’t live up to the same heights as Maverick, and considering Cruise is already somewhat moving away from Paramount to work with WB, I would hope he would only reunite with the studio for a project that was worthwhile.