NASCAR is open to participating in a “Days of Thunder” sequel if the opportunity presents itself, COO Steve O’Donnell confirmed for the first time to SBJ's Adam Stern. But while O’Donnell confirmed that NASCAR would be interested, he didn’t say whether a deal was actively being pursued.
“We’d love to see that," O'Donnell said. "The more places we can expose NASCAR to with a broader audience, the better. With Netflix, when they’re advertising us in the middle of Times Square right now [for the ‘Full Speed’ docuseries] -- that’s huge, and it shows what a great partner they already have been. So anytime you can expose the sport outside of a regular race weekend broadcast is big for us.”
The original film from Paramount Pictures came out in 1990, with co-producer Jerry Bruckheimer working with a cast that included Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall and Nicole Kidman, along with many cameos by NASCAR luminaries. The movie follows the tale of an aspiring driver, Cole Trickle, as he tries to build a career for himself. Trickle’s character was inspired in part by late NASCAR driver Tim Richmond.
It became one of the most famous NASCAR movies in history and grossed $82 million at the box office in the U.S., plus $75 million internationally, according to Box Office Mojo by IMDbPro. NASCAR and others like Hendrick Motorsports consulted on the original film. Scenes were shot at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Phoenix Raceway, among other real-life tracks.
Last summer, entertainment news website Giant Freakin Robot reported that Cruise and “Top Gun: Maverick” director Joseph Kosinski were “collaborating once more on Days of Thunder 2.” In 2022, the Hollywood Reporter said that Cruise had declined a request to create a “Days of Thunder” series for Paramount+, and Giant Freakin Robot added: “Considering what we’ve learned, it’s tempting to speculate that -- assuming THR’s report was accurate -- Tom Cruise may have said no to the Days of Thunder series because of the possibility of a Days of Thunder 2.” This suggests that Cruise retains rights to the IP of the film and would have to agree to the sequel.
NASCAR retains close ties with Bruckheimer: He served as the grand marshal at last month’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, and NASCAR Holdings’ IMSA sports car series worked closely with Bruckheimer and his Apple Films crew as they shot scenes for the F1-themed film coming out next year.
NASCAR starts its regular season this weekend with the Daytona 500. O’Donnell spoke to Stern for this week's SBJ about the myriad ways the property is working to freshen up its brand, change where it races and bring in new fans.
Tom Cruise's Cole Trickle drove the No. 46 City Chevrolet in "Days of Thunder"
