Tom Cruise is in early talks with Paramount Pictures about returning to star in a sequel to his 1990 NASCAR drama Days of Thunder, sources have confirmed to Deadline.
Paramount couldn’t be reached for comment, and details as to the creative direction that might be taken are under wraps for now. No other creative attachments to such a project have been disclosed.
Known for its adrenaline-fueled racing scenes and iconic soundtrack, the Tony Scott-directed Days of Thunder stars Cruise as Cole Trickle, a hot-headed rookie stock car driver who joins NASCAR and must overcome personal and professional challenges to achieve success. Cruise’s portrayal of Trickle was among the films solidifying his status as an action star on the heels of Top Gun. Notably, the project also saw him be introduced to Nicole Kidman, who would go on to collaborate with him on films like Far and Away and Eyes Wide Shut, not to mention being his wife of 11 years.
Scripted by legend Robert Towne, from a story conceived with Cruise, the original film was produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Caroline Williams, and Michael Rooker rounded out the cast.
Currently readying to shoot a new a new Alejandro G. Iñárritu film for Warner Bros and Legendary, about which not too much is known, Cruise is coming off of starring in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, the follow-up to which hits theaters via Paramount on May 23, 2025.
Today’s Cruise news was first reported by THR.
