Excitement crept into the air when reports of a Hollywood writer visiting NASCAR races emerged this week. The goal of the visits was to meet teams and drivers to develop a sequel to the blockbuster film Days of Thunder. After several years of talk, this step appears to be a concrete move towards actually making the film.
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Kyle Busch, however, has words of caution for those expecting a stellar movie like the first one. The two-time Cup Series Champion said ahead of the race this Sunday in Las Vegas, “You’ve got to be careful with it, right?
“Because the first one was so good, you don’t want to screw up the second one. It’s always hard to come back with a better second chance at making a movie.”
Busch admitted to not knowing how much NASCAR was involved in the process. However, he does appear to have spoken with this mysterious writer a couple of times and discussed ideas for the second film. The Sports Business Journal reported that people familiar with the matter have identified the writer as Will Staples.
Staples played a key role in crafting Without Remorse, a hit film starring Michael B. Jordan. He also contributed to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 video game.
Is he the right person to spin a tale worthy of the first? That is what stock car racing enthusiasts from around the world will hope. Busch himself does, too.
Christopher Bell about the Days of Thunder sequel
Like every other driver on the track, Bell hopes to see a Days of Thunder sequel sooner rather than later. He said in Vegas that the Tom Cruise starrer was his favorite racing film of all time and increased the hype on the potential sequel.
“It would be really cool,” he added. “I think anytime you get more exposure for our sport, and just getting more eyes on it, would be huge.” What Bell loves about Days of Thunder is that it had a more serious tone than other racing films like Talladega Nights.
Talladega Nights, while hilarious, led the general audience to assume reality to be different. He wants a more grounded and honest version of the sport to be showcased, as it was done in Days of Thunder.
From the looks of it, he will not have to wait long. Talks of a sequel first came out in 2023. In 2024, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that Cruise was in talks with Paramount Pictures about pursuing it. This latest development fast-forwards things a great deal.
