Paramount Pictures has officially set Days of Thunder, a sequel to the 1990 racing film, with Tom Cruise returning to star and Anne Hathaway joining as his co-star. The two announced the news at Daytona International Speedway.
Cruise will reprise his role as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, with Hathaway set to play a team owner and engineer. Per the official description, “Cruise will star and produce alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper,” with Jonathan Levine directing from a script by Will Staples.
Plot details for the sequel remain under wraps, according to Variety, which first reported Hathaway’s casting and noted Paramount dated the film for June 2, 2028. In the original film, directed by the late Tony Scott and released in 1990, Cruise’s Cole Trickle is recruited to a NASCAR team by a retired racing legend played by Robert Duvall, according to the outlet. The film grossed $82.6 million domestically and $157.9 million worldwide, per Deadline, and also marked Cruise’s introduction to Nicole Kidman, whom he later married; the two went on to star together in Far and Away and Eyes Wide Shut.
Cruise and Hathaway announced the news together in an Instagram video shot at Daytona, with Hathaway, who is expecting, joking, “I’m gonna have this baby, and then we’re gonna make this movie,” according to Variety. Cruise responded, “That’s a good idea. You have the baby, then we’ll go make the movie. We’re coming out summer of 2028. Don’t be late.”
The sequel marks the first major franchise property Cruise is taking on since scaling back the Mission: Impossible series, according to Variety, which also notes he’s attached to another Top Gun installment.
Days of Thunder opens in theaters, including Dolby Cinema, 4DX, premium large formats and Imax, on June 2, 2028, from Paramount Pictures.
Featured image photo credit: Photo: Paramount Pictures
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