Immediately after its announcement, it is a certainty that Tom Cruise’s next legacy sequel will be compared to the upcomingF1movie from none other than the director ofTop Gun: Maverick. Cruise has been one of the biggest movie stars in the world for decades. In recent years, sequels to some of his most iconic movies have been shaping his career more than anything else;Mission: Impossible 8will hit theatersin 2025, athirdTop Gunmovieis being developed, and it’s rumored that a sequel toEdge of Tomorrowcould be greenlit.
In addition to the aforementioned movies, a sequel to Cruise’s 1990 movieDays of Thunderis being made.Days of Thunderfollows the rivalry-turned-friendship between NASCAR drivers Cole Trickle and Rowdy Burns. While the original movie only has a score of 38% on Rotten Tomatoes, Cruise has a desire to make a sequel toDays of Thunder. However, assuming theDays of Thundersequelis released in the next few years, this means thatit will immediately be compared toF1, the 2025 racing movie fromTop Gun: Maverickdirector Joseph Kosinski.
2025’s F1 Movie Causes Two Problems For Tom Cruise’s Days Of Thunder 2 Plan
F1 And Days Of Thunder 2 Will Both Be High-Budget Racing Movies
The first problem that Joseph Kosinski’s upcomingF1movie will create forDays of Thunderis that it looks like it is going to raise the bar for racing films. Based on the trailer forF1, theBrad Pitt-led racing movielooks poised to revolutionize how high-speed races are presented on the big screen. Even thoughKosinski’s upcoming film is based on Formula 1 drivers and Cruise’sDays of Thundersequel will follow NASCAR drivers, there will undoubtedly be a lot of competition surrounding how the races in both movies are filmed.
Secondly, Kosinski would likely be a top pick to direct theDays of Thundersequel. However, this is a problem sincethere is a chance that Kosinski would not want to direct another racing movie right afterF1. Although, it’s also possible that Kosinski will learn a lot from shootingF1and will want to apply his newfound skills to the Tom Cruise sequel, which would imply thatDays of Thunder2could be even better thanF1. Kosinski clearly has a good relationship with Cruise, so anything is possible.
Can Tom Cruise Recapture Top Gun: Maverick’s Success?
Top Gun: Maverick Became The Biggest Movie In The World
While there is a lot of hype surrounding every new Tom Cruise project,it’s hard to imagine thatDays of Thunder 2will be as successful asTop Gun: Maverick. After being delayed for years due to the COVID-19 pandemic,Top Gun: Maverickwas finally released in 2022 with the hopes that moviegoers would want to see it on the biggest screen possible. This paid off, as the movie made just under $1.5 billion at the global box office, and received incredible reviews from critics.
Therefore, even though the originalDays of Thunderhas a low Rotten Tomatoes score, that doesn’t mean that a sequel won’t be incredible.
Top Gun: Maverickis actually Tom Cruise’s second highest-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes, with a score of 96%. In comparison, the originalTop Gunhas a score of 58%. Therefore,even though the originalDays of Thunderhas a low Rotten Tomatoes score, that doesn’t mean that a sequel won’t be incredible. Even though it is unlikely thatDays of Thunder 2will match the praise ofTop Gun: Maverick, hopefully it will still be another Tom Cruise success.
Days of Thunder
Cast
Days of Thunder, directed by Tony Scott, stars Tom Cruise as Cole Trickle, a young and talented race car driver entering the high-stakes world of NASCAR. The 1990 film follows Trickle’s journey as he forms a pivotal partnership with legendary crew chief Harry Hogge, portrayed by Robert Duvall. Together, they navigate the competitive circuit, facing fierce rivalries and personal challenges in their pursuit of victory.
