Paramount sets 'Days of Thunder' sequel for June 2028 with Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway

Sequel announcement and production timeline

Tom Cruise announced on social media on 29 August 2026 that Paramount Pictures is developing a sequel to the 1990 stock-car racing film Days of Thunder. The studio dated the feature for theatrical release on 2 June 2028. Jonathan Levine, whose prior directing credits include Long Shot and Mr. Irrelevant, is directing the project from a screenplay by Will Staples. Cruise is producing the film with Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper. Principal photography is scheduled to commence in early 2027, marking Cruise's next primary production commitment after concluding work on the Mission: Impossible franchise.

Lead cast and character details

Cruise reprises his role as Cole Trickle, the competitive driver who entered NASCAR in the original 1990 film. Anne Hathaway joins the cast in a co-starring role as a racecar team owner and engineer. Cruise released a promotional photograph on Saturday showing the two actors posing alongside Trickle's racecar at Daytona International Speedway. Cruise and Hathaway scheduled appearances at the drivers' meeting prior to the Saturday night NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona, with both attending the race itself. The project follows a busy 2026 release schedule for Hathaway, whose credits include Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Odyssey, and The End of Oak Street, along with the October release Verity and an upcoming third Princess Diaries film. Cruise is also attached to an Alejandro González Iñárritu film titled Digger and another Top Gun installment.

Industry research and NASCAR collaboration

NASCAR is providing direct organizational support to Paramount for the production of the sequel. Screenwriter Will Staples conducted research over the past year by interviewing drivers, team owners, and executives at NASCAR's operational hub in Charlotte, North Carolina. Staples and Levine also visited Atlanta Motor Speedway during its summer race to consult directly with active competitors. Hendrick Motorsports, which assisted heavily in the 1990 original, has renewed its involvement, with vice chairman Jeff Gordon speaking directly with Cruise in February 2026 to help advance development. The collaboration continues the access model established during the first production, when NASCAR allowed camera cars to run during official races to capture high-speed racing footage.

Box office and narrative background of the original

The original Days of Thunder was released in the summer of 1990 under the direction of the late Tony Scott, with a story conceived by Cruise and a screenplay written by Robert Towne. Produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, the film followed Trickle as he was recruited by a retired racing veteran played by Robert Duvall, suffered a severe crash at Daytona, and returned to win the Daytona 500. The film generated $82.6 million at the domestic box office and $157.9 million worldwide. Its supporting cast featured Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Caroline Williams, Michael Rooker, and John C. Reilly. Several sequences were filmed directly on the Daytona track and across the surrounding Florida community.