Tom Cruise is heading back to the NASCAR circuit, but this time he will have Anne Hathaway riding alongside him. Hathaway has officially joined Cruise in the long-awaited follow-up to the 1990 racing drama Days of Thunder, giving the sequel a major new star while bringing back one of Cruise’s most recognizable characters.
Paramount Pictures has scheduled the sequel for June 2, 2028, nearly four decades after Tony Scott’s original film reached theaters. Cruise will return as Cole Trickle, the talented but headstrong driver at the center of the first movie, while Hathaway will play a racecar team owner and engineer. The film is being developed as a major theatrical event, with plans to shoot for IMAX and release it in premium formats including Dolby Cinema and 4DX.
The casting became public after Cruise shared promotional material featuring himself and Hathaway at Daytona International Speedway. The announcement arrives at a particularly interesting point in Cruise’s career, as the actor is moving beyond the Mission: Impossible franchise while continuing to build a slate that mixes established properties with original films.
Hathaway Brings a New Role to the Racing Story
The biggest change for Days of Thunder is not simply the return of Cole Trickle. Hathaway’s character gives the sequel a different dynamic, with the actor set to play a team owner and engineer rather than another driver waiting to compete against Cruise’s character.
That setup could allow the film to explore the racing world from several sides at once. The original movie was largely built around Trickle’s arrival in NASCAR, his aggressive personality and his relationship with the people trying to turn his raw talent into a successful racing career. A team owner and engineer at the center of the new story gives the sequel room to expand beyond the driver’s seat and explore the technical and business side of modern stock-car racing.
Jonathan Levine is directing the sequel, with Will Staples credited as the screenwriter. Cruise is producing alongside longtime producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper, giving the project a combination of talent familiar with both Cruise’s action-driven filmmaking and the Days of Thunder property.
For Hathaway, the movie adds another large-scale project to an increasingly busy period in her career. Her recent and upcoming work includes The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Odyssey and the adaptation of Verity, while she is also attached to the next Princess Diaries movie. That makes the Days of Thunder sequel another sizeable studio production in a run that has seen Hathaway move comfortably between franchise films, dramas and prestige projects.
Tom Cruise Returns to Cole Trickle
Cruise’s return is arguably the most important piece of the sequel because Cole Trickle remains the character who connects the new movie to Tony Scott’s original. In the 1990 film, Trickle arrives in NASCAR as a talented driver who has to learn the demands of stock-car racing while working with a team that sees both his potential and his stubborn streak.
The original Days of Thunder also featured Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid and John C. Reilly. While it did not initially reach the cultural heights of some of Cruise’s later films, the racing drama has maintained a dedicated following, particularly among NASCAR fans. The movie earned about $157.9 million worldwide during its original theatrical run, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The timing of the sequel is also significant. Cruise is coming off decades of franchise work, particularly through Mission: Impossible, and has another major legacy property in development with a further Top Gun movie. At the same time, his upcoming Digger, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, puts him in a very different kind of film and is scheduled for theatrical and IMAX release beginning in October 2026.
That makes Days of Thunder an intriguing middle ground for the actor. It is recognizable intellectual property, but it also gives Cruise another opportunity to build a theatrical spectacle around practical racing action rather than relying entirely on the spy-thriller formula that has defined much of his recent career.
Why the 2028 Sequel Could Be a Big-Screen Event
The decision to make the new Days of Thunder specifically for IMAX and premium theatrical formats signals how Paramount sees the project. Racing is naturally suited to large screens because speed, engine noise and close-quarters competition can become part of the movie’s appeal rather than simply background decoration.
The theatrical strategy also follows the broader trend of established franchises returning to cinemas as event films. Cruise demonstrated the commercial power of that approach with Top Gun: Maverick, while Hollywood has increasingly looked to recognizable properties that can give audiences a reason to choose a theater over waiting for a streaming release.
There is still plenty that Paramount has not revealed. The studio has confirmed Hathaway’s character, Cruise’s return and the June 2028 release date, but the larger plot remains under wraps. It is also unclear whether characters from the original film will return or how heavily the new story will connect itself to Trickle’s history.
What is clear is that the sequel is being positioned as more than a nostalgic continuation. With Hathaway bringing a new perspective to the racing team, Levine taking over directing duties and Cruise returning to one of his early action roles, the movie has the opportunity to introduce Days of Thunder to an audience that may know Cruise better from Mission: Impossible and Top Gun than from his 1990 NASCAR adventure.
For now, the road to 2028 has officially begun. Paramount has locked in the theatrical date, Cruise is back behind the wheel as Cole Trickle, and Hathaway is joining him on the NASCAR side of the story. If the filmmakers can combine the original’s racing identity with the scale expected from a modern Cruise theatrical event, Days of Thunder could be getting a surprisingly ambitious second lap.
Days of Thunder Sequel: What You Need to Know
Who is Anne Hathaway playing in Days of Thunder 2?
Anne Hathaway will play a racecar team owner and engineer in the sequel. Her character will bring a new perspective to the NASCAR world alongside Tom Cruise’s returning Cole Trickle.
Is Tom Cruise returning as Cole Trickle?
Yes. Tom Cruise will reprise his role as Cole Trickle, the driver he originally played in Tony Scott’s 1990 Days of Thunder. His return provides the direct connection between the original film and the new sequel.
When will the Days of Thunder sequel be released?
Paramount Pictures has scheduled the sequel for June 2, 2028. The movie is planned as an exclusive theatrical release rather than a day-and-date streaming launch.
Who is directing the new Days of Thunder movie?
Jonathan Levine is directing the sequel from a screenplay by Will Staples. Levine’s previous directing credits include Warm Bodies and Long Shot.
Will Days of Thunder 2 be released in IMAX?
Yes. The sequel is being developed for IMAX screens and is also planned for premium theatrical formats including Dolby Cinema and 4DX.
Is the original Days of Thunder cast returning?
The confirmed returning star is Tom Cruise as Cole Trickle. Paramount has not announced a broader returning cast from the 1990 film, so details about potential appearances by other original characters remain unconfirmed.
