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50/50 Director Jonathan Levine in Talks to Direct Tom Cruise Sequel Days of Thunder 2
Director Jonathan Levine is reportedly in talks to direct Days of Thunder 2, the long-mooted sequel to the 1990 NASCAR drama, with Tom Cruise attached to reprise his role as driver Cole Trickle and to produce alongside Jerry Bruckheimer. The Hollywood Reporter says the project is intended to be Cruise's next production, arriving amid renewed appetite for motorsport films following the success of F1 and Cruise's own hit legacy sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
A script has already been written by Will Staples, whose past credits include Call of Duty 3: Modern Warfare and Without Remorse, and who previously worked with Cruise on a Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation rewrite. No plot details have been revealed. The original Days of Thunder reunited Cruise with director Tony Scott after Top Gun, starred Robert Duvall and Nicole Kidman, and featured a score by Hans Zimmer; Bruckheimer produced it with the late Don Simpson. The sequel joins another Cruise project already in motion, after Paramount confirmed in April 2026 that a further Top Gun: Maverick follow-up was underway.
In short
- Jonathan Levine in talks to direct Days of Thunder 2 for Paramount
- Tom Cruise set to reprise Cole Trickle and co-produce with Jerry Bruckheimer
- Script already written by Will Staples; plot details remain unknown
Explained simply
Days of Thunder was a 1990 action film centred on stock car racing in the American South, starring Tom Cruise alongside Nicole Kidman and Robert Duvall. The film was directed by Tony Scott and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, a prominent Hollywood figure known for major action films.
Tom Cruise's 2022 sequel Top Gun: Maverick was a significant commercial and critical success, encouraging studios to develop further instalments in established franchises. The industry has also seen growing interest in motorsport-themed films, creating favourable conditions for a Days of Thunder sequel.
A new Days of Thunder film is in development with Cruise set to reprise his original role and produce alongside Bruckheimer. The project has a completed script and Paramount intends it as an upcoming production.