Momentum may be quietly building around a potential sequel to “Days of Thunder,” and this time the story could be taking shape inside the NASCAR garage itself.
According to a report from Sports Business Journal, a Hollywood screenwriter has been attending NASCAR events and meeting with drivers and teams as part of early work to help develop a storyline for a possible follow-up to the iconic racing film.
The original movie, released in 1990, starred Tom Cruise as fictional NASCAR driver Cole Trickle and became one of the most recognizable motorsports films ever made.
Now, more than three decades later, the sport could be inching closer to returning to the big screen.
Hollywood Writer Has Been Meeting With NASCAR Teams
SBJ shared that a film writer has recently spent time around NASCAR races and team facilities while gathering insight into the modern version of the sport.
Multiple sources familiar with the situation told the publication that the writer attended major NASCAR events, including the championship race weekend in Phoenix and activities surrounding the Daytona 500 earlier this year.
Two people familiar with the visits identified the writer as Will Staples, whose previous work includes the film “Without Remorse,” the television adaptation of “The Right Stuff,” and writing credits connected to the “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” video game.
The meetings with drivers and team personnel are reportedly aimed at helping shape the story framework for a potential sequel project.
A Sequel Has Been Discussed for Years
Talk of a return to the “Days of Thunder” universe has circulated in Hollywood for some time.
The original film was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and distributed by Paramount Pictures, combining dramatic storytelling with real NASCAR personalities and race locations.
Over the past several years, Bruckheimer and Cruise have both acknowledged interest in revisiting the story if the right idea emerged.
Paramount has previously confirmed that discussions about a sequel have taken place, though no official production announcement has been made.
The recent involvement of a screenwriter visiting NASCAR races represents one of the clearest signs yet that development work may be progressing behind the scenes.
NASCAR’s Hollywood Moment Could Return
When the original “Days of Thunder” debuted in 1990, the film helped introduce millions of moviegoers to the intensity and personalities of NASCAR racing.
Cruise’s character, Cole Trickle, was portrayed as a talented but inexperienced driver attempting to prove himself at the highest level of stock car racing.
The film also included appearances and references tied to real NASCAR figures, including legendary driver Richard Petty.
Since then, NASCAR has evolved dramatically: from new cars and modern technology to a younger generation of drivers and a broader global audience.
If a sequel ultimately moves forward, the modern version of the sport could provide a dramatically different backdrop than the one audiences saw in the early 1990s.
The Timing May Be Right
Hollywood’s renewed interest in motorsports storytelling has grown in recent years.
The popularity of racing-focused documentaries and films — along with the success of recent motorsports projects in both Formula 1 and sports streaming content — has helped bring racing culture back into the entertainment spotlight.
For NASCAR, a return of the “Days of Thunder” franchise would represent a rare opportunity to reintroduce the sport to mainstream movie audiences in a way few projects have since the original film.
While no sequel has been officially greenlit, the presence of a writer gathering material directly from NASCAR races suggests that the idea may be moving beyond early speculation.
For longtime fans of the sport, and the movie, that development alone is enough to spark excitement.
‘Days of Thunder’ Sequel Buzz Builds as Hollywood Writer Visits NASCAR Races