NASCAR’s Hollywood Return Accelerates as Mission Impossible Director Visualizes Days of Thunder Sequel ”In Five Seconds”

NASCAR’s attempt at appealing to the younger generation could soon receive a major boost through the form of a sequel to the Hollywood blockbuster Days of Thunder. Christopher McQuarrie, the director of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, spoke about the possibility of the film happening soon with Tom Cruise assuming the role of Cole Trickle in a recent interview.

Originally released in 1990, Days of Thunder was directed by Tony Scott and followed the life of a young NASCAR driver and his rivalry with a proven veteran driver.

It was met with generally positive feedback from the audience and served as a huge cultural boost for the stock car racing series at the time. It can only be assumed that a sequel would have a similar effect.

McQuarrie said, “[I] totally know what the premise of the movie would be. In five seconds, I knew what the premise would be. I looked at the response to Top Gun: Maverick and immediately turned to Tom and said, ‘Days of Thunder.” But of course, the sequel would be unlike Top Gun: Maverick since it creates a different kind of cultural impact.

McQuarrie expressed awareness of this and explained how important emotions are in narratives such as these movies. He mentioned that he injected emotion into every frame of Mission: Impossible – Fallout and that he simply wouldn’t call the action to shoot if the scene didn’t connect to him emotionally. This could be exactly what Days of Thunder 2 needs.

The director did not share any further details, and Paramount Pictures has yet to make an official announcement regarding the movie. But this could change in the blink of an eye. Interestingly, Cruise, too, mentioned leading up to the premiere of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning that he is looking at playing several characters other than Ethan Hunt in the future.

And this includes Trickle. He said, “It took me 35 years to figure out Top Gun: Maverick, so all of these things we’re working on, we’re discussing [sequels to] Days of Thunder and Top Gun: Maverick. There are numerous other films that we’re actively working on right now.” What other authentication does one need?

Top Gun: Maverick was considered to be a huge improvement on its prequel thanks to the advancements in technology and storytelling. While Days of Thunder was never held on the same pedestal as Top Gun, its sequel might be a much bigger hit if the makers put serious effort into developing the characters better.