Quentin Tarantino's Favorite Tom Cruise Movie Eyes a Sequel: Will Nicole Kidman Return?

Here is a fun curveball for racing-movie fans: Quentin Tarantino says his favorite of the bunch is not Grand Prix or Le Mans. It is Tom Cruise ripping around the oval in Tony Scott's 1990 blockbuster Days of Thunder. And now producer Jerry Bruckheimer says a sequel is inching forward, even if it is still in the pit lane.

Tarantino's unexpected pick

Back in 1990, Days of Thunder was a massive production for its day: Tom Cruise at full movie-star wattage, Nicole Kidman breaking out, Tony Scott directing, and Bruckheimer producing. Critics were mixed, but audiences treated it like a high-speed theme park ride. Tarantino? He planted a flag years ago.

'Hands down, my favorite is Days of Thunder. Yeah, yeah, you laugh but seriously, I'm a big fan. To me, Days of Thunder is the movie Grand Prix and Le Mans should have been.'

In that same chat (via F1 Social Diary), he argued the movie works because it balances glossy, big-budget bombast with the scrappy spirit of those old AIP car pictures (American International Pictures cranked out a lot of low-budget genre fun in the 60s). His take: this stuff falls apart when it gets too solemn. Honestly, I get it.

So... a sequel is actually happening?

Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced Top Gun, Days of Thunder, and Top Gun: Maverick (plus the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and Brad Pitt's F1), told The Wrap that multiple sequels are in development. His team is actively working on ideas for both an F1 follow-up and a new Days of Thunder.

Important fine print: there is no writer on Days of Thunder 2 yet. This is very early days. Bruckheimer sounds optimistic about where the story could go, but we are still in the ideas phase, not the script phase.

Will Cruise and Kidman reunite?

Bruckheimer's long partnership with Cruise makes a Cruise return feel likely, even if nothing is official. Nicole Kidman, who co-starred in the 1990 film and later had a very public split with Cruise, seems less likely to be part of a sequel. That is informed speculation, not a hard no. As of now, there is no casting to announce, and things can change fast on projects like this.

Days of Thunder at a glance

• Directed by: Tony Scott
• Starring: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman
• Year of release: 1990
• IMDb: 6.1/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 37%
• Worldwide box office: $87 million
• Production company: Jerry Bruckheimer Films
• Where to watch (US): streaming on Hoopla

Bottom line: Tarantino riding for Days of Thunder is a little surprising, a little perfect, and very on-brand. And with Bruckheimer tinkering in the garage, the sequel looks real enough to keep an eye on. When a writer climbs into the driver's seat, we will know a lot more about who is actually getting back behind the wheel.