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Tom Cruise Eyeing ‘Days of Thunder’ Sequel for Paramount

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Tom Cruise is trying to make a sequel to a different of his motion classics, and it’s not one that you simply’d anticipate. 

The actor is speaking to Paramount a couple of follow-up to his 1990 NASCAR racing movie Days of Thunder. 

On its floor, the thought appears quite daring. Thunder wasn’t thought of a field workplace stumble on its launch (making $157 million globally with a manufacturing price range of $60 million), and the movie obtained mixed-to-negative evaluations from critics. However having revived and modernized 1984’s Prime Gun with 2022’s blockbuster Prime Gun: Maverick, the actor believes he can work related magic together with his racing drama (which, like the unique Prime Gun, was a Paramount movie produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott). A Thunder revival has been floated earlier than — Paramount as soon as pitched a reboot of the title as a TV present for Paramount+, an concept that Cruise nixed.

Key elements embrace the venture’s script (the studio is out to potential writers now) and the 62-year-old actor-producer’s packed schedule. Cruise is about to start out taking pictures The Revenant filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s mysterious subsequent movie for Warner Bros./Legendary, creating a Doug Liman film for Common that’s set in precise house, and he’s creating a sequel to Maverick (which Cruise and Paramount each take into account a high precedence). 

“He’s speaking [to Paramount] about Prime Gun and Days of Thunder,” says a studio insider conversant in the discussions. “It’s going to be what comes collectively first when it comes to a script. It will depend on the thought and, in the end, the script.” (Cruise, sources say, has script approval over all of his initiatives).

Racing movies have turn into score trendy these days, with the success of James Mangold’s 2019 image Ford v Ferrari, Michael Mann’s much less profitable 2023 racing drama Ferrari, and subsequent 12 months’s F1 — which stars Brad Pitt and is directed by Maverick helmer Joseph Kosinski (who would seemingly be the perfect option to helm Thunder, however one imagines he wouldn’t be too eager on making back-to-back racing motion pictures). The glut of latest fast-cars-on-tracks initiatives makes the prospect of resurrecting Thunder much more daunting (think about if Maverick had been launched after three different fighter pilot motion pictures), however no less than not one of the different titles particularly discover the world of NASCAR racing, which has a decidedly totally different Americana vibe in comparison with the extra European-based world of Le Mans and Method 1.

“I don’t assume a [Days of Thunder sequel] is a horrible thought,” added the Paramount supply (the studio declined to remark for this story). “You might need stated that revisiting Prime Gun was a horrible thought. I wouldn’t low cost it.”

Days of Thunder definitely has its devotees, amongst them Tony Scott fan and collaborator Quentin Tarantino. “Palms down my favourite [racing movie] is Days of Thunder,” the director was quoted as saying in 2013. “Yeah, yeah, you snigger, however severely, I’m an enormous fan. Certain, it had an enormous price range, huge stars and an enormous director in Tony Scott, but it surely had the enjoyable of these early [American International Picture racing] motion pictures. I simply don’t assume [the genre] works should you take the entire thing too severely.” Thunder can be remembered because the movie the place Cruise met his former spouse of 11 years, Nicole Kidman, who co-starred within the venture as a neurosurgeon and love curiosity for Cruise’s USAC racer Cole Trickle.   

Then, there’s writer-director Christopher McQuarrie’s eagerly anticipated Mission: Inconceivable 8, which is lastly wrapped and in post-production. The venture has had an extended and troublesome journey, with a price range that’s reportedly approaching $400 million amid manufacturing delays — partly because of the 2023 Hollywood strikes. 

Whereas the franchise stays highly regarded and 2022’s seventh entry Mission: Inconceivable: Lifeless Reckoning — Half One largely drew raves (scoring greater than 94 p.c on Rotten Tomatoes amongst each critics and audiences), the final movie’s price range earlier than advertising was practically $300 million and its field workplace return was thought of disappointing ($566 million globally). Making issues tougher for the upcoming movie, Lifeless Reckoning ended on a cliffhanger — snapping the custom of every M:I journey being a stand-alone entry the place every movie is wholly accessible to a contemporary viewers. Paramount has since dropped the “Half One” from 7’s title. The brand new movie’s title will likely be revealed within the subsequent couple of weeks when Paramount drops the primary M:I 8 trailer.

One intriguing wrinkle: Paramount has been occupied with selling M:I 8 because the “ultimate” entry within the motion franchise as a means of boosting viewers curiosity. But Cruise has been in opposition to saying a public goodbye to Ethan Hunt — not shocking, contemplating the preternaturally youthful actor was quoted final 12 months as saying he hopes to maintain making M:I motion pictures into his 80s. (“Harrison Ford is a legend, I’ve bought 20 years to meet up with him,” Cruise stated. “I hope to maintain making Mission: Inconceivable movies till I’m his age.”)

Nonetheless, Paramount is optimistic about M:I 8 and bullishly needs to deliver the movie to Cannes — a transfer that’s these days developed a fame as high-risk for big-budget mainstream initiatives, given how the pageant’s vital reception torpedoed Indiana Jones and the Dial of Future and Horizon: An American Saga months earlier than every title opened. At the least within the case of M:I 8, the pageant is scheduled proper earlier than M:I 8 opens huge in theaters (Cannes runs Could 13 to 24; the M:I 8 launch date is Could 23), so any vital barbs from France will likely be coming across the similar time, or simply after, the film has already had its world premiere and home critic screenings. 

“I feel Tom’s in a very good place,” the studio insider famous. “And I feel Mission goes to be actually good.”

— Pamela McClintock and Mia Galuppo contributed to this report

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Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Snoop Dogg Play 2024 Olympics Closing Ceremony

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The Paris Olympics closing ceremony was stuffed with surprises on Sunday and featured performances by Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, H.E.R and Phoenix.

Phoenix, initially from France however now primarily based within the U.S., kicked off the present with their 2009 hit “Lisztomania,” as athletes danced and sang alongside to the indie basic. Their set featured shock appearances from French synthwave artist Kavinsky and Belgian singer Angèle for a rendition of “Nightcall,” recognized from the Drive soundtrack (the unique model featured CSS singer Lovefoxxx as an alternative of Angèle).

Rapper VannDa joined in for “Funky Squaredance” and fellow French indie icons AIR carried out their music “Playground Love” with Phoenix. One other shock was Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig, who carried out “Tonight,” his collaborative monitor with the band. The set ended on a candy word with frontman Thomas Mars leaping off the stage to mingle with the Olympians within the crowd.

After the handover for the 2028 Summer time Olympics in Los Angeles, H.E.R. took the stage to carry out the nationwide anthem. Tom Cruise made a dramatic entrance, diving from the Stade de France onto the stage and shaking arms with athletes as H.E.R. performed a bluesy guitar riff. Simone Biles, who gained gold throughout her triumphant return to the video games, then handed Cruise the U.S. Olympic flag, which he positioned on a motorbike earlier than driving away.

A pre-taped clip, soundtracked by the Crimson Scorching Chili Peppers, confirmed Cruise driving his bike by means of Paris, boarding a airplane to L.A., and skydiving to the Hollywood Signal. As beforehand reported by The Hollywood Reporter, The section was shot by Fulwell 73, the manufacturing firm co-run by James Corden and recognized for Hulu’s The Kardashians.

To commemorate the handover to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympics, a number of the metropolis’s most famous artists carried out dwell from Will Rogers Seashore. The Crimson Scorching Chili Peppers performed their 2002 monitor “Can’t Cease,” and Billie Eilish carried out “Birds of a Feather” from her latest album Hit Me Onerous and Delicate. Snoop Dogg, who has been serving to NBC with primetime protection all through the Video games, marked his homecoming by performing two of his largest hits, “Drop It Like It’s Scorching” and “Gin & Juice,” with a visitor look by Dr. Dre.

The ceremony concluded with French singer Yseult performing “My Method,” popularized by Frank Sinatra however initially carried out by Claude François and translated to English by Paul Anka.

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Gina Gershon Thought She Broke Tom Cruise’s Nose in Cocktail Sex Scene

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Gina Gershon is revealing how her first intercourse scene didn’t essentially go as deliberate.

The Borderlands actress made a latest look on Watch What Occurs Stay, the place she shared that her “past love scene ever” was with Tom Cruise in 1988’s Cocktail, noting that he was an entire “gentleman.” Nonetheless, she was left mortified after she unintentionally “kneed him proper within the nostril” whereas filming.

“At one level, he begins off below the covers, and I informed him I used to be very ticklish,” Gershon recounted to host Andy Cohen. “I stated, ‘No, no, don’t ever do this.’ And in a single take — I believe he wished a response — and he grabbed my abdomen, and I kneed him proper within the nostril.”

She continued. “I used to be like, ‘Oh, my God, I simply broke Tom Cruise’s nostril.’ He’s like, ‘No, no, you informed me.’ I’m like, ‘I’m so sorry,’ he was like, ‘No, it was my fault.’ And he was so overprotective over me. He was nice.”

Cocktail, directed by Roger Donaldson, follows Brian (Cruise), a New York Metropolis enterprise pupil and bartender who takes a job at a bar in Jamaica and finally ends up falling in love with artist Jordan (Elisabeth Shue). Gershon performed Coral, a photographer who cheats on Brian together with his enterprise associate Doug (Bryan Brown), which is why Brian initially determined to maneuver to Jamaica.

Gershon additionally informed Cohen that Cruise’s then-wife Mimi Rogers — they had been married from 1987 to 1990 — “was very current” on set all through filming for the romantic-comedy drama as that they had “simply gotten married.” However the Killer Joe actress famous that she and Cruise “did kiss as a lot as we may” within the film.

She added, “Each scene it was like, ‘Ought to we kiss within the scene?’ ‘Oh yeah, I believe we must always kiss.’”

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Doug Liman, Tom Cruise Are Still Talking About Edge of Tomorrow Sequel

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Doug Liman and Tom Cruise haven’t shut down the thought of an Fringe of Tomorrow sequel fairly but.

Ten years following the discharge of the 2014 sci-fi motion movie, the filmmaker advised Empire journal that he and the actor “maintain speaking about” doing a follow-up as a result of “we love that world.”

“Tom and I simply really rewatched it about two months in the past, as a result of I hadn’t seen it in 10 years,” Liman added. “I used to be like, ‘Wow, that could be a actually good film.’”

The unique movie, additionally starring Emily Blunt, follows a soldier (Cruise) who retains reliving the identical day over and over whereas preventing aliens. Although Fringe of Tomorrow had a sluggish begin throughout its field workplace debut, it seemingly discovered longevity with viewers all through the previous decade.

“I haven’t essentially all the time had the great fortune of getting films which have big opening weekends,” the director admitted. “Bourne Id misplaced to Scooby-Doo [on] its opening weekend. And Swingers got here and went from the theaters. What I’ve come to know is, I’m making films for the long run. I’m an ego-driven man, I’d prefer to get accolades now. However I additionally acknowledge that, if I used to be given the selection, I’ll select making movies that folks 50 years from now are nonetheless watching.”

Although an Fringe of Tomorrow sequel was reportedly in growth at Warner Bros. in 2019 with Matthew Robinson penning a script, a movie by no means got here to fruition. Nevertheless, Blunt has stated she’s been “so prepared” to return for a sequel.

She beforehand advised host Josh Horowitz on the Joyful Unhappy Confused podcast that she needs there may very well be one other movie, revealing that she had really learn a script at one level.

“There was one which Doug form of slithered over to me,” the Oppenheimer actress stated. “I imply, I’d like to make it a actuality, however I simply don’t know when or how. And what number of Mission Impossibles does he [Cruise] want.”

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Director on Brendan Fraser, Dwayne Johnson, Reboot

The Mummy director is unwrapping his recollections of the favored motion movie that starred Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz because it hits its twenty fifth anniversary.

Common Photos launched the film Could 7, 1999, and it collected $409 million on the international field workplace ($767 million at the moment) and spawned two sequels, together with the 2002 Dwayne Johnson-led spinoff The Scorpion King. Fraser, who was beforehand identified for main Encino Man (1992) and George of the Jungle (1997), starred in The Mummy as explorer Rick O’Connell, whereas the mission marked a breakout half for Weisz as romantic lead Evelyn Carnahan, with the 2 characters battling the mummified corpse of an Egyptian priest.

In a dialog with The Hollywood Reporter, director Stephen Sommers remembers Fraser’s well being scare throughout a stunt mishap, the hassle to forged James Earl Jones, the Tremendous Bowl spot that modified the film’s destiny, why he skipped the third film and his emotions in regards to the Tom Cruise-led reboot, launched in 2017.

Rachel Weisz and Brendan Fraser in The Mummy.

Courtesy of Everett

How does it really feel to hit 25 years of The Mummy?

It’s so humorous the way it simply by no means went away. It’s at all times on TV someplace. And I do know, particularly as a result of the residual checks are nice. I hate to say it, however someway it’s endeared itself to lots of people.

How did you become involved with the movie?

Once I was 8 years outdated, I first noticed the Boris Karloff Mummy film [from 1932], and I beloved it. Common had been making an attempt to remake the Karloff film for 9 years after I obtained on, and it was going to be a low-budget horror film set in modern-day. I had my brokers name the producers Jim Jacks and Sean Daniel, they usually had been so sick of The Mummy that they didn’t even hear my pitch and simply introduced me straight into Common. Once we left, Sean — who’s the nice cop of the pair — turned to me and mentioned, “Steve, I assumed you probably did an excellent job.” He patted me on the shoulder, and I believe they thought they’d by no means see me once more. However I obtained dwelling about an hour later, and an agent referred to as me up and mentioned, “The studio needs to go for it.”

Did you’ve got any actors in thoughts whilst you had been writing it?

I by no means do. My editor Bobby [Ducsay] is my principal critic, and even earlier than I completed the script, Bob was like, “Oh, that is Brendan Fraser.” I don’t suppose I’d even seen George of the Jungle at that time. We knew that the hero needed to be a tricky man however with a coronary heart. Lately, I learn an article saying that we went out to Tom Cruise after which Brad Pitt. I’m like, “No, we solely went to Brendan.” Brendan beloved it straight away. The studio had an inventory of actresses like Ashley Judd and different younger American actresses. I mentioned, “They’re all American. She must be English.” So Rachel was the gal, and off we went.

On the Amazon rental model of the film, there’s a trivia pop-up claiming that Sylvester Stallone was initially provided the function.

You’ve obtained to be kidding. (Laughs.) Within the ’90s, Stallone was an enormous star. Earlier than I obtained on it, the studio was making an attempt to do it for $15 million. I assure you, nobody went out to Stallone. He was by no means talked about to me.

Does anything stand out from the casting course of?

Once I wrote the character of Ardeth Bay, I used to be making an attempt to get James Earl Jones or Roscoe Lee Browne. He was written as a 70-year-old Black man, however I’m at all times up for altering issues. After James and Roscoe had been busy with different initiatives, they introduced on this 23-year-old Israeli man, Oded Fehr, and he was improbable.

How did your staff cope with the warmth?

It was fairly harsh, however it’s a dry warmth. We’d at all times get hit by sandstorms, however they’re not hurricanes or something like that. The ADs would run round and provides everyone earplugs and goggles. You couldn’t see six inches in entrance of your face, however it might solely final possibly 10 minutes.

Director Stephen Sommers on the set of The Mummy.

Courtesy of Everett

I consider Brendan has talked about taking B12 photographs within the butt throughout the shoot.

Love the B12 photographs. Brendan actually put his physique on the market. On the second, when he’s operating from all of the pygmy mummies, I may see Brendan limping.

Brendan has talked about doing a few of his personal stunts, throughout which he endured some bumps and scrapes.

We had a terrific stunt staff, however Brendan is an enormous, robust man, and he was youthful again then. We form of beat the crap out of him. All people talks in regards to the scene when he will get hung. Normally when someone will get hung, it’s a dummy, and that’s why they put baggage over individuals’s heads. Brendan was at all times gung-ho, and he was like, “Make the noose actually tight on me.” Then he determined to let his knees sag a little bit bit. However what he forgot is that the minute you place that a lot strain in your carotid arteries, it knocks you out. All of us appeared, and he’s utterly unconscious. It was high-quality, and he recovered in 10 seconds. However he awoke like, “What occurred?”

Did you’ve got a way whilst you had been making the movie that it might be such a success?

We had no concept. I keep in mind round Christmastime within the enhancing room, going, “For 40 years, individuals have been making enjoyable of The Mummy.” I immediately had a panic assault. I’m considering, “I really like mummies and historical Egypt, however possibly nobody else will.” After which the 30-second Tremendous Bowl spot got here out. It went from no one having any curiosity in seeing a Mummy film to everyone like, “Holy shit. That was actually cool.”

What do you keep in mind in regards to the opening weekend?

I didn’t need to get too excited and was considering, “If it may possibly open to $20 million, that will be large.” A producer good friend of mine mentioned, “If it does $15 million, try to be over the moon.” At 6:30 on Saturday morning, my cellphone rings within the kitchen, and nobody calls you at 6:30 within the morning on a Saturday to inform you unhealthy information. It was [then Universal president] Ron Meyer: “Steve, are you sitting down? The film’s going to open to $45 million.” That was an enormous excessive. That evening, a complete bunch of the actors, among the crew and myself, all of us met for steaks at Dan Tana’s.

You went on to direct 2001’s The Mummy Returns. Did you contemplate directing the third film that got here out in 2008?

I didn’t need to do the third film as a result of I simply felt like the primary two actually got here collectively. I’m actually pleased with each of them. Third ones are simply very exhausting. So I knew proper off, I didn’t need to direct it, and Rachel wasn’t going to be in it. We at all times form of joke that the third one is known as The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, however it actually doesn’t have a mummy in it. That’s when NBC purchased Common, and NBC was doing the Olympics in China. They’re like, “Is there any means you may do a Mummy film in China?” And I had nothing to do with the Tom Cruise one, clearly.

Had been you consulted for the Tom Cruise movie?

No. Really, I used to be form of insulted as a result of the writers and director [Alex Kurtzman] of that Tom Cruise one, nobody ever contacted me. I contact individuals if I used to be going to take over someone’s factor. The third one, which Rob [Cohen] directed, it’s form of my child. I didn’t need to step on his toes, so I helped produce it. However I had nothing to do with the Tom Cruise one. They by no means contacted me or referred to as me. I used to be doing different issues, and it’s not like I sat crying. I simply suppose it’s frequent courtesy.

Brendan has talked about that he could be sport to reprise his function. Has there been any discuss of that?

Not that I do know. All of the individuals at Common are new after I left. I don’t actually know them, they usually haven’t obtained a maintain of me, so I don’t know what’s of their heads. On the identical time, it must be one thing actually particular. In fact, I’d work with all of these actors once more.

With The Mummy Returns, you helped make The Rock a star.

He was nice. I had by no means heard of the man, however then they despatched me some footage of him, and he was simply good. I needed to shoot so quick with him as a result of he flew into Marrakesh on Wednesday, and he needed to be in Detroit for a WWE factor on Saturday. However boy, was he a trooper. As quickly because the studio noticed the dailies, the president of Common was calling me up and saying, “You bought to write down a film for him.” In some way over the following week or so, I got here up with this concept that grew to become the Scorpion King film.