Days of Thunder

Days of Thunder
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Tony Scott
Screenplay by	Robert Towne
Story by	Robert Towne Tom Cruise
Produced by	Don Simpson Jerry Bruckheimer
Starring	Tom Cruise Robert Duvall Randy Quaid Nicole Kidman Cary Elwes
Cinematography	Ward Russell
Edited by	Billy Weber Chris Lebenzon
Music by	Hans Zimmer
Production company	Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date	June 27, 1990 (1990-06-27)
Running time	108 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$60 million[1][2]
Box office	$157.9 million

Days of Thunder is a 1990 American sports action drama film produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The film stars Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Caroline Williams, and Michael Rooker. It also features appearances by real life NASCAR racers, such as Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace, Neil Bonnett, and Harry Gant. Commentator Dr. Jerry Punch, of ESPN, has a cameo appearance, as does co-producer Don Simpson.

Days of Thunder was released in the United States on June 27, 1990, by Paramount Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its racing sequences, Hans Zimmer's musical score, and the performances of Cruise and Duvall, but criticized its lack of originality, screenplay, and similarities to Top Gun, and has grossed $157 million worldwide against a production budget of $60 million. A sequel is in development.