Paramount is moving forward with 'Days of Thunder 2', securing Jonathan Levine as director while Tom Cruise is set to reprise his original role as racing driver Cole Trickle. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who helmed the 1990 original film, remains attached alongside Cruise, who will also serve as a producer on the sequel with Will Staples having written the script.

The project mirrors Cruise's recent success in revitalizing earlier franchises, most notably his 2022 return to the 'Top Gun' universe with 'Maverick', which generated nearly $1.5 billion at the global box office and secured multiple Oscar nominations. Levine, whose recent credits include episodes of 'Nine Perfect Strangers', brings fresh direction to the racing drama as Paramount capitalises on the proven appetite for legacy sequels anchored by established stars.