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Mar 18, 2026, 2:30 PM CUT

Tom Cruise's NASCAR Classic Rumored to Challenge F1's Blockbuster Movie

Hollywood may be preparing another racing blockbuster. After the success of Brad Pitt’s F1 movie, early work has reportedly begun on a sequel to the 1990 NASCAR film Days of Thunder starring Tom Cruise.

Sports Business Journal reporter Adam Stern shared the update on X on March 12, 2026. He reported that a Hollywood writer has been meeting NASCAR teams and drivers to develop a possible story for a Days of Thunder sequel.

According to Stern, those discussions represent one of the clearest signs that the project is being seriously explored.

People familiar with the situation say the writer allegedly involved is Will Staples, whose previous work includes Tom Clancy's Without Remorse and the video game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. To understand the sport while developing the story, Staples has reportedly spent time around NASCAR teams and drivers.

The sequel also has support from people connected to the original film. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer said on The Rich Eisen Show last year that Cruise would like to make a sequel.

NASCAR has shown openness to the idea in the past. NASCAR President Steve O'Donnell told Sports Business Journal in 2024, “We’d love to see that.”

The timing of the discussions is notable. Bruckheimer also produced F1, which used modern racing technology. Its success showed that motorsports movies can still attract big audiences.

Why Days of Thunder's Mixed 1990 Reviews Actually Make the Sequel Easier to Pull Off

When Days of Thunder was released in 1990, reviews were mixed. Some viewers liked the racing scenes and the star power, while critics said the story felt too similar to Top Gun. The comparison was obvious — the same director and the same star, but with stock cars instead of fighter jets.

That reaction might actually help the movie now. Days of Thunder was never treated like a perfect classic, so a sequel would not face the same pressure as some other long-running franchises.

NASCAR itself has also changed a lot since 1990. Modern cars, new tracks, and improved filming technology could make the racing look very different on screen.

At the same time, Tom Cruise has recently returned to several older franchises. The huge success of Top Gun: Maverick showed that audiences are still interested in those kinds of follow-ups.

With early story work reportedly taking place, the idea of bringing Days of Thunder back to theaters may finally be moving forward.

Can Days of Thunder top F1 at the box office? Let us know what you think

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav