Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway are teaming up for a Days of Thunder sequel. According to Rolling Stone, Cruise confirmed the follow-up to the 1990 racing classic Saturday at an empty Daytona International Speedway, standing next to a lime green NASCAR with a Summer 2028 release date plastered on the side.
Hathaway showed up pregnant and immediately owned the moment. "I'm gonna have this baby, then we're gonna make this movie," she quipped in the announcement video.
Cruise returns as Cole Trickle, the hotshot NASCAR driver from the original, while Hathaway steps into a completely different arena as a team owner and engineer. Pairing Cruise's action-star magnetism with Hathaway's sharp comedic timing and dramatic ability could elevate what might otherwise have been a straight nostalgia play into something fresher.
The original Days of Thunder (1990) was a Tom Cruise vehicle that, while not a critical darling, became a cultural touchstone for '90s adrenaline cinema. Reviving it 38 years later reflects Hollywood's current strategy. Franchises, sequels, and IP revivals still dominate greenlight meetings, but studios are getting smarter about casting. Rather than just rehashing the original formula with Cruise against new male competition, the sequel introduces female power in the pit. That is a notable shift.
Jerry Bruckheimer, the producer who has backed action movies since the '80s, is producing alongside Cruise. Jonathan Levine (known for Warm Bodies and The Night House) is directing, which is a curveball, he brings indie sensibility to high-octane material. Will Staples wrote the script.
Filming hasn't started yet, which means Hathaway will have her baby and presumably take time off before the engine revs. For Cruise, this is another blockbuster commitment in a career that refuses to slow down. The 2028 release means nearly two years of production, post-production, and marketing.
It will be a spectacle.
