36 Years Later, Another Tom Cruise Action Sequel Just Got Confirmed After Top Gun
Tom Cruise is undeniably one of the greatest action stars in Hollywood. His commitment to practical stunts and delivering death-defying experiences for the audience has made him a fan favorite. It should come as no surprise that some of the films Cruise is most associated with — the Mission: Impossible franchise, Top Gun — rank among the best action films ever made. But Cruise is such an adrenaline junkie that his action chops go well beyond Ethan Hunt and Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. Long before he accepted his first impossible mission, Cruise headlined Days of Thunder, a car racing movie that saw him portray driver Cole Trickle. Days of Thunder received mixed reviews in its time, but it’s since earned a cult following — and a follow-up is now in the works.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jonathan Levine has signed on to direct a Days of Thunder sequel. Cruise is returning to star, reprising Cole Trickle. No release date has been set, but the project seems to have emerged as a priority for Paramount. THR notes that Days of Thunder 2 will be “Cruise’s next production.”
Can Days of Thunder 2 Replicate the Success of Top Gun: Maverick?
Days of Thunder 2, of course, is not the first time a Tom Cruise action film has received a legacy sequel. Just four years ago, Top Gun: Maverick released and achieved massive success. It was one of the first true post-COVID blockbusters, raking in $1.503 billion worldwide. Maverick was also critically acclaimed (even earning a Best Picture nomination), with much praise being given to the exhilarating action sequences. The third act of Maverick in particular is a masterclass of action filmmaking, fully immersing the audience in high-stakes aerial combat. Paramount, the studio that reaped the benefits of Maverick‘s box office run, is obviously hoping for similar results with Days of Thunder 2.
Paramount has reason to be optimistic. It was only last summer that F1, the sports drama starring Brad Pitt as an aging race car driver, brought in $634.1 million worldwide and received a Best Picture nomination of its own. There’s clearly an audience for an old-school blockbuster like this; impressively, F1 outgrossed last year’s entire crop of comic book movies, which would have been unthinkable a handful of years ago. Paramount likely sees Days of Thunder 2 as their version of F1, crafting a story about a veteran Cole Trickle getting back behind the wheel. Plot details are being kept under wraps for the time being, so it’s possible Levine and Co. could go the Top Gun: Maverick route and have Cole take a younger driver under his wing.
Levine is a fascinating choice for director. He’s never attempted something on the scale of a Tom Cruise action sequel. Levin is best known for films such as 50/50, Warm Bodies, and Long Shot, well-received, “smaller” character-driven films that were creative riffs on well-worn genres. Those sensibilities could come in handy on Days of Thunder 2, however, as they might help Levine craft a captivating story that complements the action sequences. And Levine may have already proven to Paramount brass he knows his way around a set piece; enthusiastic test scores for the director’s football movie Mr. Irrelevant seem to have played a role in Levine landing the Days of Thunder job. Perhaps he shot football action in a compelling manner, making Paramount interested in seeing what he can do on the race track.
Following the Paramount/Skydance merger becoming official, the studio made clear its plan to find viable tentpoles to prop up its film slate. This is why new installments based on classic IP like Star Trek are in the works. Paramount has always enjoyed a fruitful partnership with Cruise (the Mission: Impossible movies were typically reliable draws), so it isn’t surprising to see them find a way to stay in the Cruise business. With Mission: Impossible seemingly over after last year’s The Final Reckoning and Top Gun 3 still not ready to move forward, Days of Thunder 2 won out as the next Cruise vehicle. Hopefully it can be the next Top Gun: Maverick.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
