High-octane sports cinema is officially back in the fast lane, and Paramount is putting the pedal to the floor. Following the colossal global success of Apple TV’s original blockbuster F1—which reinvigorated audience appetites for tires, track drama, and high-speed spectacle—Paramount is officially greenlighting a sequel to Tom Cruise’s iconic 1990 NASCAR drama, Days of Thunder.
Director Jonathan Levine is currently in negotiations to sit in the driver’s seat for the project. Cruise is set to reprise his role and will produce the follow-up alongside legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who co-produced the original 1990 film (and recently brought Apple’s F1 to the screen). The feature is slated to be Cruise’s next major production.
Why Jonathan Levine?
Paramount’s decision to tap Levine represents a massive vote of confidence in the filmmaker following electric buzz around his upcoming sports drama, Mr. Irrelevant. Starring David Corenswet and scheduled for a prime Christmas Day wide release, the film reportedly hit stratospheric high scores during test screenings earlier this spring.
Levine brings one of the most impressively versatile résumés in modern Hollywood. His directorial range spans across genres, including:
- Slasher Horror: All the Boys Love Mandy Lane
- Indie/Sundance Favorites: The Wackness
- Acclaimed Dramedy: 50/50
- Rom-Coms & Satire: Warm Bodies, The Night Before, and Long Shot (starring Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen)
The Legacy of Days of Thunder
The original 1990 film marked a celebrated reteaming of Tom Cruise with his Top Gun director, the late Tony Scott. Cruise played hotshot NASCAR rookie Cole Trickle, a fiery driver who lived life in the fast lane, crashed cars, found love, and ultimately chased victory at the prestigious Daytona 500.
While it didn’t quite match the sheer box-office ceiling of Top Gun, Days of Thunder became a classic staple of ’90s action cinema. It boasted a stellar supporting cast, including Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Cary Elwes, and Randy Quaid, and remains one of Cruise’s most memorable, high-octane outings.
Under the Hood: While storyline details for the sequel are being kept strictly under wraps, the screenplay is being penned by Will Staples, whose writing credits include video game hit Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and the Michael B. Jordan action feature Without Remorse.
Cruise’s Packed Schedule
Before Cruise steps back into Cole Trickle’s racing suit, audiences will see a radically different side of the superstar later this year.
Cruise is set to star in Oscar-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s highly anticipated satirical comedy Digger, hitting theaters on October 2, 2026. Featuring a massive physical transformation for Cruise as an eccentric, cat-loving oil baron navigating an ecological crisis, Digger is already generating early Oscar buzz and promises to be one of the star’s most daring performances to date.
