'F1' Sequel Confirmed — Is Apple Building Its Own High-Octane Universe?

Following a roaring box office debut, Apple Studios has officially shifted gears into sequel territory for F1, the adrenaline-fuelled racing film directed by Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski. Details remain tightly under wraps, but the announcement alone has sent fans — and industry insiders — into speculative overdrive. Could this be Apple’s first serious foray into franchise-building? One can't help but notice the speed at which this follow-up was greenlit.

Adding fuel to the already hot engine is a tantalising rumour: Kosinski may be eyeing a crossover with the 1990 cult favourite Days of Thunder, which famously starred Tom Cruise in a helmet and fireproof suit long before he ever flew a fighter jet. A reunion like that — Cruise back in the driver’s seat — wouldn’t just tick the nostalgia box, it could ignite a whole cinematic universe.

After all, as xander6981 confessed on Reddit, "When I got home from seeing F1, I put on Days of Thunder so yeah, I'd be 100% down for this." He’s clearly not alone — Smurfboy22 wrote, "F1 x Days of Thunder, I’d watch that."

Fans are already having fun guessing what the sequel might be called. Suggestions range from the delightfully blunt — "F1 2?" (thanks to pwppip) — to the slightly sleeker "F2" from MoneyLibrarian9032. Then there’s Gergunnar’s cinematic "F1: Thunder Road". Will Apple go with something bold, nostalgic, or just plain obvious? Time will tell.

Meanwhile, not everyone’s fully on board with the idea of a sequel. "Sequel really not needed, it’s a self-contained story," wrote Sweethoneyx1, echoing the sentiment of those who feel the original crossed the finish line just fine on its own. But others are more optimistic. Uncle-atom commented, "If they could take the awesome cinematography from the first one and make the storyline more realistic, I’d be so down for a sequel."

So what’s really happening behind the pit lane gates? Kosinski is a busy man these days, reportedly juggling several projects—from co-writing Top Gun 3, to helming a UFO conspiracy thriller for Apple, and developing a Miami Vice reboot at Universal. But with F1 now in sequel mode and the scent of burnt rubber still in the air, one has to wonder: is this just a continuation — or the start of something much bigger?