KEY POINT
Tom Cruise will reprise his role as Cole Trickle from the 1990 racing film.
Anne Hathaway will co-star as a team owner and engineer.
Paramount has scheduled the sequel for release on June 2, 2028.
Cruise announced the project Saturday at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, just hours before NASCAR’s regular-season finale. The announcement confirms the long-discussed continuation of the racing film that originally featured Cruise as driver Cole Trickle.
Hathaway will play a team owner and engineer, adding a new character to the story. Jonathan Levine is set to direct the movie from a screenplay by Will Staples.
Cruise will also work behind the camera as a producer, alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper. Paramount Pictures is scheduled to release the film on June 2, 2028.
The original Days of Thunder arrived in 1990 during the period when Cruise was riding high following the success of Top Gun. The movie followed Cole Trickle, a fictional NASCAR driver whose character was loosely based on the late driver Tim Richmond.
Although the film received poor critical reviews at the time, it became a cult favorite among NASCAR fans. Its depiction of stock-car racing was exaggerated enough to attract criticism within the NASCAR community, but the movie ultimately helped introduce the sport to a broader mainstream audience.
One of its most enduring lines comes from crew chief Harry Hogge, played by Robert Duvall: “Rubbin’, son, is racin’.”
The sequel has been discussed for years. The Hollywood Reporter reported in November 2024 that Cruise had spoken with Paramount about continuing the story.
Four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon has also publicly supported the idea of Cruise returning to the role. Gordon and Cruise became friends, and Cruise attended a 2015 NASCAR banquet honoring Gordon.
The original movie remains notable in NASCAR culture despite the mixed reception surrounding its portrayal of the sport. Since then, other racing projects have had varying levels of success, including Talladega Nights, while several attempts to capture NASCAR on screen have failed to make the same impact.
The confirmed next step is production of the sequel, with Levine directing, Staples writing and Cruise, Bruckheimer and Harper producing. Paramount’s announced theatrical release date is June 2, 2028.
Who is returning for the sequel?
Tom Cruise will reprise his role as Cole Trickle.
Who is joining the cast?
Anne Hathaway will co-star as a team owner and engineer.
When will the movie be released?
Paramount Pictures has scheduled it for June 2, 2028.
