Tom Cruise is looking to film a sequel to another of his classic action films, and it’s not what you’d expect.
The actor is in discussions with Paramount to film a follow-up to his 1990 NASCAR racing movie day of thunder.
On the surface, the idea seems quite bold. thunder It did poorly at the box office ($157 million worldwide against a production budget of $60 million) and received mixed reviews from critics. But the revival and modernization of 1984 Top Gun 2022’s bombshell Defender: Maverickthe actor believes he can work similar magic in his racing drama (just like the original Top Gunis a Paramount film produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. one thunder The idea of a revival has been floated before – Paramount at one point proposed rebooting the game as a TV show for Paramount+, but Cruise nixed the idea.
Key factors include the project’s script (the studio is now opening it up to potential writers) and the 62-year-old actor-producer’s packed schedule. Cruise is about to start filming The Revenant Filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s mysterious next film for Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures, a real-life space-based adventure for Universal Pictures Doug Liman, who is working on a sequel to Star Wars. Maverick (Both Cruise and Paramount consider this a top priority).
“He’s talking [to Paramount] about Top Gun and day of thunder,” said a studio insider familiar with the discussions. “That will be what comes together script-wise first. It depends on the idea and ultimately it depends on the script. (Sources say Cruise has received script approval for all of his projects).
Racing movies have become trendy recently with the success of James Mangold’s 2019 film Ford v FerrariMichael Mann’s less-than-successful 2023 racing drama ferrariand next year’s F1 ——Starring Brad Pitt, directed by: Maverick helmer Joseph Kosinski (who seemed the ideal candidate to take the helm) thunderbut one assumes he wouldn’t be too keen on making back-to-back racing movies). Recent glut of express train projects on track raises prospect of recovery thunder Even more daunting (imagine if Maverick was released after three other fighter pilot films), but at least no other film specifically explored the world of NASCAR racing, which has a decidedly different American vibe compared to the European world of Le Mans and Formula 1.
“I don’t think [Days of Thunder sequel] This is a terrible idea,” added the Paramount source (the studio declined to comment for this story). “You might say, reexamining Top Gun This is a bad idea. I won’t discount it.
day of thunder It certainly has its followers, including Tony Scott fan and collaborator Quentin Tarantino. “Let go of my favorite [racing movie] yes day of thunder“, the director said in 2013. “Yeah, yeah, you laugh, but honestly, I’m a huge fan. Sure, it had a big budget, big stars and a big director like Tony Scott, but it also had the fun of those early days. [American International Picture racing] Movie. I just don’t think [the genre] It works if you take the whole thing too seriously. thunder Cruise met his ex-wife of 11 years, Nicole Kidman, who plays a neurosurgeon in the film and is Cruise’s co-star. Lover of USAC racing driver Cole Trickle.
Then, there’s the eagerly awaited project from writer-director Christopher McQuarrie Mission: Impossible 8was finally completed and entered post-production. The project has had a long and difficult slog, with a budget reportedly approaching $400 million due to production delays (in part due to the 2023 Hollywood strike).
Although the series remains popular and is the seventh installment in 2022 Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning — Part 1 The film drew largely positive reviews (over 94% from both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes), after the previous film had a pre-marketing budget of nearly $300 million and its box office returns were considered disappointing ($566 million globally). Make upcoming movies more challenging, dead reckoning Ends on a cliffhanger – breaking everyone’s tradition middle: me The adventure is a standalone entry, and each film is entirely suitable for new audiences. Paramount has since removed “Part One” from the title of “7.” The new film’s title will be revealed in the coming weeks, when Paramount unveils its first film Medium: Me 8 trailer.
An interesting question: Paramount has always been interested in publicity Medium: Me 8 As the “final” entry in the action film series, to increase audience interest. Cruise, however, has been resistant to a public farewell to Ethan Hunt — not surprising, given that last year the unusually young actor said he wanted to keep making movies. middle: me Watching movies in my 80s. (“Harrison Ford is a legend, and I have 20 years to catch up to him,” Cruise said. “I want to continue to create Mission: Impossible movies until I was his age.
Still, Paramount remains optimistic Medium: Me 8 and are optimistic about bringing the film to Cannes — a move that has recently been considered high-risk for big-budget mainstream projects, given the rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Destiny and Horizon: An American Legend Months before each production is released. At least in the following cases Medium: Me 8the festival is scheduled before Medium: Me 8 Broad release in theaters (Cannes Film Festival, May 13-24; Medium: Me 8 (released May 23), so any criticism from France would come at the same time or after the film has already had its world premiere and domestic critical screenings.
“I think Tom is in a good spot,” a studio insider noted. “And I think mission It will be very good.
— Pamela McClintock and Mia Galupo contributed to this report
