Tom Cruise is exploring the idea of making a sequel to his 1990 NASCAR movie, Days of Thunder, while also working on a sequel to Top Gun: Maverick and planning the future of the Mission: Impossible franchise.
Cruise is talking to Paramount about bringing Days of Thunder back. The original movie wasn’t a big hit when it came out, earning $157 million worldwide on a $60 million budget, and it got mixed reviews. However, after the success of Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise thinks he can do something similar with Days of Thunder. Paramount previously considered turning it into a TV show, but Cruise didn’t like that idea.
The success of the sequel will depend on the script, which the studio is currently seeking writers for, and Cruise’s busy schedule. He is set to start filming a new project with director Alejandro G. Iñárritu for Warner Bros., working on a space movie with Doug Liman for Universal, and developing a sequel to Maverick.
A source from the studio said, “He’s discussing both Top Gun and Days of Thunder. It will depend on which script comes together first.” Cruise has final say on all his projects.
Racing movies are popular right now, especially after Ford v Ferrari and Michael Mann’s Ferrari. There’s also an upcoming F1 movie starring Brad Pitt. While these films are about car racing, Days of Thunder focuses specifically on NASCAR, which has a different American vibe.
The Paramount source said a sequel isn’t a bad idea, pointing out that people thought revisiting Top Gun was a mistake, too. Days of Thunder has its fans, including director Quentin Tarantino, who called it his favorite racing movie.
Cruise also has Mission: Impossible 8 coming up, which is in post-production after a challenging filming process. The budget has reached around $400 million due to delays from the Hollywood strikes. While Mission: Impossible remains popular, the last film had a budget of nearly $300 million but was considered a disappointment with $566 million at the box office. The new film will be different because it ends on a cliffhanger, breaking the usual standalone format.
Paramount is thinking about marketing M:I 8 as the “final” entry in the series, but Cruise wants to keep playing Ethan Hunt. He has said he hopes to keep making these movies into his 80s, inspired by legends like Harrison Ford.
Paramount is optimistic about M:I 8 and wants to showcase it at the Cannes Film Festival. This has been risky for big-budget films lately, but the festival is just before the movie’s wide release, so any reviews will come after its premiere.
A studio insider mentioned, “I think Tom’s in a good place. And I think Mission is going to be really good.”
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