Tom Cruise Could Soon be Back on Track in Days of Thunder 2

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Reports out of Hollywood suggest that Tom Cruise may return as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle for a sequel to the 1990 movie Days of Thunder.

Having previously shut down an attempt at a TV reboot, Cruise, buoyed by the success of Top Gun: Maverick, and the seemingly-never-ending Mission Impossible franchise is said to be keen on the idea of a sequel, some 34 years after the film made its box-office debut.

Days of Thunder wasn’t a hit with the critics but it still managed to rake in $157 million against its $60 M budget, thanks to the backing of producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott.

Cruise is a serious auto enthusiast with an extensive car collection and can often be seen trackside at Formula 1 races, where, no doubt he’s closely watched Brad Pitt’s F1 movie coming together.

Notorious for doing his own stunts, it’s hard not to imagine Cruise wanting to get back behind the wheel of a race car. The 62-year-old star passed his SCCA driving test in 1987 and began racing in a Nissan 300ZX, winning four out his first 16 races. He’s also test driven a Red Bull Racing Formula 1 car and was Top Gear‘s fastest Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car.

Although there’s no script for Days of Thunder 2 yet Cruise is said to be eager to get back on track. “He’s talking [to Paramount] about Top Gun and Days of Thunder,” a studio insider told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s going to be what comes together first in terms of a script. It depends on the idea and, ultimately, the script.” 

Joseph Kosinski who helmed Top Gun: Maverick and is currently working on Brad Pitt’s F1 would be the obvious director to get on board, but is there an outside chance that an even bigger star could get behind the cameras? “Hands down my favorite [racing movie] is Days of Thunder,” said no less than Quentin Tarantino in 2013. “Yeah, yeah, you laugh, but seriously, I’m a big fan.” 

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Comments

    Oh for Gods sake spare us.

    They really need to do a true story on Tim Richmond. He lived a true Hollywood tragedy.

    I have worked with and around a number of racing series over the years. I hot yo meet and know a number of drivers. The funny thing is Stroker Ace was closer to what NASCAR was at the time.

    Nothing will ever top Grand Prix. A movie like that could never be made again. Rush did well but to film on the real tracks during the real race with no CG being used are over.

    Really? I think for so many liberties Hollywood has taken with racing movies, Days of Thunder is pretty bearable. For instance, for anyone who has read “Go Like Hell”, will see how many liberties they took with Ford v Ferrari. Almost unwatchable if you know the real story. Would take a fictional story over their embellishment of history any day of the week.

    But let’s face it, what the world really needs is a sequel to Talladega Nights

    There are very few good raving movies.

    It does not help that I’m not a big Bruckheimer fan nor Cruise fan.

    Ford vs Ferrari was entertaining at best. I read the book. I knew HF2 never got rattled at the airport in a GT40. They could have done it more justice being real. Shelby alone was more than a script writer could imagine. I dealt with him on back ordered heads. Gave me a good cussing. He was tough but that is how he succeeded.

    Enzo was good but it was such a short part of his life. You almost had yo be familiar to understand it. It would have made a good mini series.

    I tried to watch Talladega Nights and like the Anchorman I could not get past the first 30 min.

    Racing is just tough to capture in 90 min.

    Car movies do much better like American Graffiti or Smokey and the Bandit where the cast snd story support the movie and the cars are supporting roles.

    I hate the Fast and Furious. We hated it at work as every idiot calling in saying I want NIS man. Like NOS was a word.

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