Tom Cruise Anne Hathaway: Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway join the Days of Thunder sequel for June 2028
The latest Tom Cruise Anne Hathaway news is that they will star together in a sequel to Days of Thunder. The film is officially announced for cinemas on 2 June 2028, with Cruise returning as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle and Hathaway playing a team owner and engineer. The Hollywood Reporter Variety
Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway join the Days of Thunder sequel for June 2028
Paramount has set the follow-up to the 1990 racing film for release on 2 June 2028. The project will be filmed for IMAX and released in cinemas, including formats such as Dolby Cinema and 4DX. Variety The Hollywood Reporter
Cruise will reprise Cole Trickle, the NASCAR driver he played in the original. Hathaway is set to play a new character who owns and engineers a racing team. The available reports do not establish further plot details, including how the new character connects to Trickle. Rolling Stone Variety
Jonathan Levine is confirmed to direct from a script by Will Staples. Cruise will produce alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper. The original film was directed by Tony Scott, but the supplied reporting does not describe Levine’s appointment as a replacement or handover from Scott. The Hollywood Reporter Sydney Morning Herald
What happened in the announcement
Cruise announced the sequel on Saturday, 29 August, at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. He shared a promotional image of himself with Hathaway beside a race car, while the car displayed the Days of Thunder title and a “Summer 2028” release message. USA Today Rolling Stone
In a follow-up video, Hathaway joked that she would have her baby before the film was made. Cruise then reiterated the summer 2028 release timing. That exchange indicates that filming will not begin immediately, although the reports do not provide a production start date. Us Magazine
The announcement confirms the central casting and creative team, but it does not confirm whether Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes or other cast members from the 1990 film will return. Us Magazine
How the sequel relates to the original film
The first Days of Thunder, released in 1990, followed Cole Trickle after he was recruited into NASCAR and joined a new racing team. It was directed by Scott and featured Duvall, Kidman, Quaid and others in supporting roles. The Hollywood Reporter USA Today
The original was criticised and mocked in parts of the NASCAR industry when it came out, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, but later became a cult favourite among NASCAR fans. The new film’s announcement described an intention to focus on racing, teamwork and the NASCAR community, though its specific story remains under wraps. Sydney Morning Herald
As of 30 August 2026, the verified position is that the sequel has been announced, Hathaway has joined Cruise, Levine is directing, and Paramount has scheduled the film for 2 June 2028. No fuller synopsis or additional returning cast has been confirmed in the available reporting.