Robert Duvall’s Underrated Sports Action Film Starring Tom Cruise Returns to the Charts 36 Years Later

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After yesterday’s news, many people are watching again on Paramount+. The beloved actor famously played Harry Hogge, the crew chief, in the 1990 sports movie.

As a total movie buff, I was checking FlixPatrol and noticed something interesting – Days of Thunder is currently the fourth most popular movie on Paramount+ in the US! And it’s not the only Robert Duvall film seeing a resurgence after his passing. Apparently, people are revisiting his classic roles, and another one of his movies has popped back into the Top 10 on Paramount+. Of course, a lot of us remember him as Tom Hagen, a key member of the Corleone family in The Godfather films, and it’s lovely to see so many people appreciating his work again.

Released by Paramount Pictures on June 27, 1990, Days of Thunder follows Cole Trickle, a promising race car driver played by Tom Cruise. With the help of experienced crew chief Harry Hogge, Cole gets his chance to compete in the high-stakes NASCAR Winston Cup Series, quickly becoming a standout racer.

Cole faces off against rival racer Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker), and their intense competition puts Cole’s career at risk. After a serious crash leaves both injured, the two become unlikely friends. While recovering in Daytona Beach, Cole begins a relationship with Dr. Claire Lewicki (Nicole Kidman), a neurosurgeon. With Rowdy unable to race, Cole agrees to drive Rowdy’s car in the Daytona 500, facing off against a new competitor, Russ Wheeler (Cary Elwes).

Days of Thunder Was a Top Gun Reunion for Tom Cruise

With Days of Thunder, Tom Cruise teamed up again with Top Gun director Tony Scott, and producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. The film got a mixed response from critics. While Tom Cruise and Robert Duvall both received praise for their acting, some critics felt the movie wasn’t as fresh or unique as Top Gun.

Despite receiving mixed reactions from critics, Days of Thunder proved popular with moviegoers. It earned $157.9 million globally on a production budget of $60 million.

Following the big success of Top Gun: Maverick in 2022, Paramount Pictures, Tom Cruise, and Jerry Bruckheimer are working on a follow-up to Days of Thunder. Joseph Kosinski, the director of both Maverick and last year’s F1, has said he’d like to direct the new film. He recently shared that his vision is to combine the worlds of Days of Thunder and F1 into one sequel.

Currently, I’m thinking Cole Trickle would be a good fit. We’d discover he and Sonny Hayes – the character Brad Pitt played in F1 – have a history, perhaps as former rivals. I’ve heard about a legendary go-kart race between Brad and Tom [Cruise] during the making of Interview with the Vampire, and people would definitely want to see those two compete on a racetrack.

It’s currently unknown when Paramount will officially approve a sequel to Days of Thunder. Another project is also in development at the studio. If Tom Cruise and Jerry Bruckheimer want Joseph Kosinski to direct the sequel, they’ll need to wait until he finishes Miami Vice, which is scheduled to start filming later this year.

Days of Thunder is available to stream on Paramount+.

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2026-02-18 00:06