Tom Cruise has officially confirmed that a sequel to Days of Thunder is coming, with Anne Hathaway joining him in the next chapter of the NASCAR film. The sequel is set to be released on June 2, 2028, with Cruise returning as Cole Trickle and production expected to begin in early 2027.
Cruise made the announcement ahead of the final NASCAR Cup Series regular-season race at Daytona International Speedway, a track that played an important role in the original movie. The announcement also confirmed that Hathaway will play a racecar team owner and engineer, although further details about her character and the plot have not been revealed.
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Tom Cruise shared an image on X standing in front of a stock car with Hathaway in a cowboy hat, captioned:
“Days of Thunder. Summer 2028.”
Jonathan Levine is set to direct, with Staples writing the screenplay. Tom Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Tommy Harper will produce the movie.
The announcement comes after several months of reports that a sequel was nearing reality. In March, reports revealed that Hollywood screenwriter Will Staples had been meeting NASCAR teams, drivers, and others in the garage while working on a possible storyline. Staples visited race shops in Charlotte and attended NASCAR events, gathering information for the project.
In May, Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon confirmed that he had seen researchers at the track taking notes and speaking with drivers and teams, adding weight to the reports that the sequel was actively being developed.
Anne Hathaway joins the project after a busy period in her career. The actress has had four films in theaters in 2026, including The Devil Wears Prada 2 and The Odyssey. She is also set to appear in Verity later this year and has already completed work on Alone at Dawn. She is also involved in the upcoming third installment of The Princess Diaries.
Tom Cruise, meanwhile, continues to build his career around major theatrical projects following the success of Top Gun: Maverick and the conclusion of the Mission: Impossible franchise. He is also expected to return for another Top Gun movie.
Hendrick VP Jeff Gordon on Tom Cruise’s Days of Thunder revival: “We want to be a part of it”
The confirmation of the sequel is significant for NASCAR because the original Days of Thunder had a close connection with the sport. Released in June 1990, the movie followed Cole Trickle as he entered NASCAR and tried to establish himself at the highest level of stock car racing.
The Days of Thunder film starred Tom Cruise alongside Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, and John C. Reilly. NASCAR was heavily involved in the production. Several racing scenes were filmed at Daytona International Speedway, including moments connected to Trickle’s fictional career.
Jeff Gordon, who shares a close relationship with Tom Cruise, previously spoke about that growth while discussing the possibility of another Days of Thunder movie. Speaking to The Athletic earlier this year, he said:
“There’s this kind of resurgence, which is awesome, and there’s also a whole new landscape of opportunities with streaming services and docuseries and also the big screen, which I think it would be amazing to do,” Gordon said. “I am seeing just a lot more momentum in projects like this coming through NASCAR and coming to Hendrick Motorsports and just more interest. So that’s good, right? It talks a lot about where the sport is at, where it’s heading, the amazing crowd that was (at Daytona), not just today, new TV partners.
“I’ve absolutely talked to Tom about it because I want him to do the project, and we want to be a part of it if it were to happen.”
Days of Thunder also performed strongly at the box office. The movie grossed roughly $157.9 million worldwide and has remained relevant among NASCAR fans, particularly as interest in motorsports has increased through major theatrical releases over the years.
The sequel is scheduled for a June 2, 2028 theatrical release and will be shot for IMAX, with releases also planned in formats including Dolby Cinema and 4DX. Production is expected to begin in early 2027.
Edited by Anurup Chakraborty