Jonathan Levine to Direct ‘Days of Thunder’ Sequel

(L to R) Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise in ‘Days of Thunder’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

Preview:

‘50/50’ director Jonathan Levine is making a deal to oversee the ‘Days of Thunder’ sequel.
Tom Cruise will star in and produce the movie.
Paramount is backing this latest revisitation of Cruise’s past career.

It’s been a couple of years since we first heard of Tom Cruise taking meetings with studio backers Paramount to rev up the development engines for a sequel to 1990 racing drama ‘Days of Thunder.’

Now, it would seem to be on the starting grid, as The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Jonathan Levine, director of movies such as ‘50/50’ and ‘Long Shot’ is in the middle of making a deal to oversee the speedy new effort.

“You can’t outrun the thunder.”

Release Date: Jun 27, 1990

Run Time: 1 hr 47 min

Budget: $60,000,000

‘Days’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer is also involved in the effort, which is largely being kept under wraps for now (what little we do know is below).

Related Article: Tom Cruise Talking to Paramount About Sequel to 1990 Racing Pic ‘Days of Thunder’

What was the story of ‘Days of Thunder?’

Tom Cruise in ‘Days of Thunder’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

Released in 1990 following the success of movies such as ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Days of Thunder’ followed a similar storyline about a hot-headed lead character, albeit relocated to a new venue.

Produced by Bruckheimer (working back then with late colleague Don Simpson) and directed by ‘Top Gun’s Tony Scott, ‘Thunder’ follows the exploits of the improbably named Cole Trickle (Cruise), a scrappy race car driver recruited to a new NASCAR team led by a retired racing legend played by Robert Duvall.

Cruise got his first and, to date, only official writing credit on the film for developing the story with screenwriter Robert Towne. And his love interest on the movie was played by one Nicole Kidman, to whom he was married for 11 years after meeting here and who made her Hollywood debut playing a neurosurgeon who falls in love with Cole.

‘Days of Thunder’ wasn’t considered a box office hit upon its release (it made $157 million globally off a production budget of $60 million), and the film received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. Yet it has since been re-evaluated.

Will Staples (‘Without Remorse’) has written the latest draft of the sequel’s script and we can imagine Cruise as an older Trickle mentoring younger drivers, much in the style of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’s pilot action.

Talking of…

What about a sequel to ‘Top Gun Maverick’?

Tom Cruise plays Capt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Cruise officially confirmed a second potential sequel to ‘Top Gun’ at CinemaCon this year, which is of little surprise given the blockbuster performance of the 2022 effort.

95th Oscars® nominee Tom Cruise arrives at the Oscar Nominee Luncheon held in the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton on Monday, February 13, 2023. The 95th Oscars will air on Sunday, March 12, 2023 live on ABC. Credit/Provider: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.