Insert that “Oh my god, it’s happening” GIF from the The Office.
Folks, Days of Thunder 2 is on the table, with news breaking last week that talks are circulating about the sequel. The original, of course, came out in 1990. It has a divided reception among critics and NASCAR fans alike in the 34 years since, but I waxed a bit poetic about it after marathoning director Tony Scott’s films over the summer.
This is something that has bounced its way around movie rumor spheres for the last two and a half years or so. Ever since Top Gun: Maverick came out to immense success (almost $1.5 billion at the box office, six Oscar nominations, one Oscar win, named Best Film of 2022 by the NBR and more) the thought has been that Days of Thunder might get a sequel — the first one was “Top Gun on wheels,” so why not?
The details aren’t exactly expansive, as this is in the very early stages of even being news, but the reports said that Cruise is discussing a sequel with Paramount. The above-linked article from The Hollywood Reporter also mentioned that the production company floated a reboot as a TV series, which Cruise (thank god) shot down.
Sure, it’s only in the “talks” stage. But let’s face it: Tom Cruise is still one of the most marketable stars in Hollywood — one of our last movie stars — and, with as much pull as he has, it’s pretty likely it’ll happen. I wrote a few articles last year on who I’d like to see get cast in various roles.
My primary hope is that Joseph Kosinski will be at the helm of the movie. Admittedly, he’s doing F1 next year and might not want to do two racing movies back-to-back. But even if we have to wait a few years, he’s the tried-and-true man for the job.
For the F1 movie, he and his crew have reportedly worked immensely hard to create innovative camera designs, putting 6K-quality cameras in the cockpit to put us in the seat with Brad Pitt and the rest of the cast.
They did the same with Maverick, also cramming 6K-quality cameras into a plane cockpit — six of them, in fact — to produce one of the best-looking and most immersive action movies in ages.
#TomCruise and the cast and crew of #TopGunMaverick (2020) give a behind-the-scenes look at how they filmed their real-life flying stunts with 6 IMAX cameras inside the cockpit and how they adjusted to all those G forces. 😱🤢🤙 pic.twitter.com/dd8vf90ADL
— IMDb (@IMDb) December 18, 2019
I don’t think it’d be a bad idea to stick with a tried-and-true cast. Cruise seems to have taken Glen Powell under his wing — they were both in Maverick, of course, and Cruise was out in full support of Powell when Twisters premiered last summer.
Powell is immensely popular right now; he also cameoed to promote NASCAR’s Chicago Street Course race earlier this summer, so he’s no stranger to stock car racing. His film Hit Man debuted this summer, teaming him back with Richard Linklate, who essentially put Powell on the map first with 2016’s Everybody Wants Some!!, one of my favorite films of the past decade.
Before that, Powell had had bit parts in things like The Dark Knight Rises and was cast as a kid in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over way back when. His star has risen considerably since 2016, thanks to the rom-coms Set It Up (with Zoey Deutch) and Anyone But You (with Sydney Sweeney), the war film Devotion and, of course, Maverick.
Ok so now they’ve gotta make Anyone But You 2 (or Anyone But You Too, eh?) where Sydney Sweeney’s ex Miles Teller and Glen Powell’s ex Zoey Deutch plot to break them up on their wedding weekend and of course fall in love. Bridging the Glen Powell cinematic universe, c’mon now. pic.twitter.com/VSvoHXGtUp
— Benjamin Price (@bennylovesfilms) December 30, 2023
Powell’s also set to star in director Edgar Wright’s remake of The Running Man. Wright’s pedigree includes the Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End), along with popular staples like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Baby Driver.
I won’t speculate much on the rest of the cast, but even if Powell plays a character akin to his rogue personality in Maverick, I think it’ll be a really good route for the studios to take. Most movie viewers think he’s one of the coolest dudes alive, one of the most attractive men alive (see Hit Man‘s reception, specifically) or a combination of both. Pretty safe gamble if you ask me.
Glen Powell perfectly balancing rowdiness and calamity in his roles as the ultimate unassuming Americana authority figure is the perfect combination. As an audience watching him you feel like you are taking a risk while also feeling safe in the journey you embark on with him. pic.twitter.com/5VFNqdqhGI
— Jillian🫧 (@JillianChili) July 16, 2024
If all goes well, I wouldn’t expect this to release for a few years — hell, I wouldn’t expect it to even begin production for a few years. The article noted that the studio is working on finding a screenwriter, and that Cruise’s filming schedule is another obstacle.
We’re only just getting a trailer for the eighth Mission: Impossible film, and (depending on what happens in the movie) I wouldn’t be surprised if it gets another sequel or two with Cruise before concluding.
There’s also Broadsword, a WWII thriller that again partners Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie, who’s helmed the last four M:I films (including next year’s). Cruise is also set to re-team with Doug Liman, who directed him in Edge of Tomorrow and American Made, for a movie that will actually be shot in space.
Cruise is also attached to director Alejandro G. Inarritu (Birdman, The Revenant, etc.) with the film Judy, where Cruise apparently plays “the most powerful man in the world” (a fair assessment of Cruise himself). It has a really solid cast rounded out by Sandra Huller (excellent in last year’s Anatomy of a Fall), John Goodman, Jesse Plemons and more.
Plus, there’s potential for a third Top Gun film. So I’ll be interested to see how they actually work Days of Thunder 2 into schedules.
I don’t care when it comes out. I don’t care if he’s pushing 70 when they film it and it goes into production close to 2030. I’ve been rooting for this to happen for years. Let’s go.
As the NASCAR championship races are this weekend, we now set sail into the offseason. I do have some ideas for y’all in the off couple of months. Reel Racing won’t be as regular, of course, but it’s about time I finally do a full catalog of all the movie-themed paint schemes, isn’t it?
We’ll get to that soon.
About the author
Adam Cheek joined Frontstretch as a contributing writer in January 2019. A 2020 graduate of VCU, he covered sports there and later spent a year and a half as a sports host on 910 the Fan in Richmond, VA. He's freelanced for Richmond Magazine and the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and also hosts the "Adam Cheek's Sports Week" podcast. Adam has followed racing since the age of three, inheriting the passion from his grandfather, who raced in amateur events up and down the East Coast in the 1950s.
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Reely! A movie about “racing” has as much reality as a Mission Impossible movie. One of many is Fireball 500.
This is awesome news, Adam, thanks! Will be looking forward to the sequel and more Reel Racing stories!