30 August,2026 01:31 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway in Days of Thunder sequel. Pic via X
Actor Tom Cruise has officially announced that a sequel to Days of Thunder is underway. The lead actress of the film, Anne Hathaway, also revealed that she will join the much-awaited follow-up to the 1990 racing drama after giving birth to her third child. Notably, the sequel has been announced 36 years after the release of the original film and arrives in cinemas after 38 years during summer 2028.
Cruise shared the announcement of the sequel on social media on August 29, with a video from Daytona International Speedway. The post also confirmed Hathaway's involvement in the film. The announcement revealed the sequel's summer 2028 release window.
In the video, a pregnant Hathaway says, "I'm going to have this baby." Tom replies, saying, "That's a good idea. You have a baby and then we're going to make this movie."
According to Variety, Paramount Pictures has scheduled the feature film sequel to release on June 2, 2028. The project is expected to be shot for IMAX screens, and released exclusively in theatres in formats including Dolby Cinema and 4DX. Cruise earlier released a promotional image on Saturday celebrating Hathaway's casting, wherein he is seen posing with his co-lead on a NASCAR track.
Cruise will be seen reprising his role as the scrappy driver Cole Trickle in the sequel. While the plot details are largely kept under wraps, Hathaway is set to play a racecar team owner and engineer. Jonathan Levine has been confirmed to direct, while the film will be produced by Cruise alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper.
The original Days of Thunder was released in 1990 and starred Cruise as Cole Trickle. It followed his journey as a talented but ambitious NASCAR driver who is recruited to a new NASCAR team by a retired racing legend (Robert Duvall). The first film also starred Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid and John C. Reilly.
As Cruise gears up to return, marking another sequel, and Hathaway joins the cast, the sequel marks the revival of the racing franchise after nearly four decades since its first outing.
