Tom Cruise announced on Saturday at Daytona International Speedway that he will return as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle in a follow-up to the 1990 racing film Days of Thunder. Anne Hathaway will co-star as a race-team owner and engineer, while Paramount Pictures has scheduled the film for an exclusive theatrical release on June 2, 2028, according to the Associated Press and Variety.
Cruise revealed the project before the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale in Daytona Beach, Florida, and attended the drivers' meeting. The announcement placed the sequel at the center of the sport that inspired the original film. Cruise and Hathaway also appeared together at the circuit beside a green-and-yellow race car carrying the film's branding, according to reports by Variety, RACER and the Los Angeles Times.
Jonathan Levine is set to direct from a screenplay by Will Staples. Cruise will produce alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper, the Associated Press reported. Variety said the production is planned for IMAX screens and will also receive theatrical presentations in formats including Dolby Cinema and 4DX. Plot details beyond the two leading characters remain limited, and Paramount has not announced the rest of the cast.
The original Days of Thunder, directed by Tony Scott, followed the ambitious stock-car driver Cole Trickle and helped expose a broad cinema audience to NASCAR. Although its reception from critics and racing insiders was mixed in 1990, the film later developed a strong following among NASCAR fans. The new project arrives nearly four decades after that release and turns Hathaway's character into a senior technical and ownership figure within the racing world.
Cruise said at Daytona that the follow-up would emphasize the teamwork, community, speed and danger surrounding NASCAR. His appearance at the track converted earlier industry discussion about a possible sequel into a confirmed production with a co-star, director and release date. Further casting, the production timetable and detailed story information remain to be disclosed before the planned June 2028 opening.
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