Anne Hathaway is joining Tom Cruise for a return to the NASCAR circuit in a sequel to the 1990 racing drama “Days of Thunder.” Paramount Pictures has set the film for a June 2, 2028, theatrical release, nearly four decades after the original hit theaters. The project will be filmed for IMAX and is also slated for Dolby Cinema and 4DX presentations.
Directed by Tony Scott, the first “Days of Thunder” starred Cruise alongside Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid and John C. Reilly. The film followed Trickle as he entered the NASCAR world and pursued success on the track. For the sequel film, Cruise will reprise his role as Cole Trickle, the ambitious stock-car driver at the center of the original film. Hathaway will play a race team owner and engineer, marking the actors’ first on-screen pairing. The two announced the project Saturday at Daytona International Speedway through social media posts and a promotional image featuring them alongside a race car.
Jonathan Levine, whose credits include “Long Shot” and “50/50,” will direct the sequel from a screenplay by Will Staples. Cruise will also produce the film with Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper. Plot details remain largely under wraps, although the story is expected to return to the NASCAR world established by the original.
The new project represents Cruise’s latest major franchise return following the conclusion of the “Mission: Impossible” series, while he is also attached to another “Top Gun” film. Hathaway, meanwhile, has had a particularly busy 2026, with appearances in “Mother Mary,” “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” “The Odyssey” and “The End of Oak Street,” as well as the upcoming “Verity.”
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