Movies & Documentaries
Anne Hathaway Joins Tom Cruise for ‘Days of Thunder’ Sequel
Tom Cruise is heading back to NASCAR, and this time he’s bringing Anne Hathaway along for the ride as Paramount sets a 2028 release date for the long-awaited “Days of Thunder” sequel.
Nearly four decades after Tom Cruise first climbed behind the wheel as hotshot NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, Hollywood is bringing the racing franchise back, and Anne Hathaway is joining Cruise as his new co-star.
Paramount Pictures has scheduled the untitled “Days of Thunder” sequel for June 2, 2028, setting up a major theatrical comeback for one of Cruise’s most recognizable pre-Mission: Impossible roles.
The sequel will be made with IMAX and premium theatrical formats in mind, including Dolby Cinema and 4DX, signaling that Paramount wants the return of Cole Trickle to be experienced as a major big-screen spectacle rather than a nostalgia-driven streaming revival.
Anne Hathaway Gets Behind the Wheel
While the studio is keeping the story under wraps, Anne Hathaway is set to portray a race team owner and engineer, giving the sequel a new central character alongside Cruise’s returning Cole Trickle.
The casting reunites two of Hollywood’s biggest stars for a project that could combine Cruise’s appetite for practical action with Hathaway’s recent run of major theatrical roles.
Tom Cruise publicly celebrated Hathaway’s casting with an image of the pair at a NASCAR track, immediately fueling anticipation for the movie.
Jonathan Levine, whose credits include Long Shot and Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, is directing the sequel. Will Staples wrote the screenplay.
Tom Cruise will also produce the movie with veteran producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper.
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Tom Cruise Is Finally Bringing Cole Trickle Back
The original “Days of Thunder” arrived in 1990, with Tom Cruise playing Cole Trickle, an ambitious and often hot-headed driver trying to establish himself in the fiercely competitive NASCAR world.
Directed by the late Tony Scott, the movie followed Cole after he was recruited to drive for a new racing team led by a retired racing champion played by Robert Duvall.
The cast also featured Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, John C. Reilly and Michael Rooker.
The movie became particularly notable in Cruise’s career because it marked his first on-screen collaboration with Kidman. The two later married and appeared together in several other major productions.
More than 30 years later, Cruise is now returning to the character at a dramatically different point in his career.
Tom Cruise with Nicole Kidman in Days of Thunder
Cruise’s Post-‘Mission: Impossible’ Era Is Taking Shape
The “Days of Thunder” sequel represents one of Cruise’s most significant moves into established franchise territory since his Mission: Impossible series began winding down.
Cruise remains attached to another major sequel in the form of “Top Gun 3,” extending his connection to the blockbuster franchises that helped define his career.
He is also returning to more prestige-oriented filmmaking with Alejandro González Iñárritu’s “Digger,” further demonstrating the actor’s strategy of balancing enormous theatrical projects with filmmaker-driven movies.
Cruise’s films have generated billions of dollars worldwide, while his commitment to theatrical presentation has made him one of the most influential advocates for the cinema experience.
That makes the decision to shoot “Days of Thunder” for IMAX particularly significant.
Anne Hathaway’s Hollywood Comeback Gets Another Boost
Anne Hathaway is entering the sequel after an exceptionally busy period.
The Oscar-winning actor has appeared in several high-profile projects in 2026, including “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and “The Odyssey,” while her upcoming slate includes “Verity,” the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling thriller.
She has also completed work on the military drama “Alone at Dawn” with Adam Driver and remains attached to the developing third installment of Disney’s The Princess Diaries franchise.
Adding a high-octane NASCAR sequel with Cruise gives Hathaway another major commercial project.
Why the ‘Days of Thunder’ Return Could Be Huge
The original film may not have reached the cultural heights of Top Gun, but the combination of Cruise, racing and modern blockbuster filmmaking gives the sequel a powerful commercial hook.
The biggest question is whether the new film will simply revisit Cole Trickle’s past or introduce him to a new generation of racing characters.
With Hathaway playing a team owner and engineer, the sequel already appears positioned to expand the franchise beyond its original story.
And with June 2, 2028 now locked in, the engines are officially warming up.
