Anne Hathaway joins Tom Cruise for Days of Thunder sequel in 2028

MUMBAI: The thunder is rolling back in, and this time it has a new driver in the passenger seat. Anne Hathaway has joined Tom Cruise for the sequel to Days of Thunder, with Paramount setting June 2, 2028 as the theatrical release date for the follow-up to the 1990 racing drama.

Cruise will reprise his role as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, while Hathaway will play a team owner and engineer. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the sequel is set for an Imax release as well as screenings in Dolby Cinema, 4DX and other premium large-format theatres.

Cruise will also produce the film alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper. The screenplay will be written by Will Staples, with Jonathan Levine directing, as previously reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

The original Days of Thunder, released in 1990, reunited Cruise with his Top Gun director Tony Scott. The film followed Cole Trickle after he was recruited by a retired racing legend, played by Robert Duvall, to join a new NASCAR team. The cast also included Nicole Kidman, Cary Elwes and Randy Quaid.

The sequel marks another major franchise-style move for Cruise, whose films including Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick, Risky Business, Jerry Maguire and the Mission: Impossible series have collectively grossed more than $13 billion worldwide.

Cruise’s next release is Digger, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, which is scheduled to arrive in theatres on October 2.

For Hathaway, the Days of Thunder sequel adds another sizeable project to an already packed run. Her films The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Odyssey and The End of Oak Street are debuting this year, while her next project, Verity, based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel, is also scheduled for October 2.

With Cruise back behind the wheel and Hathaway stepping into a key role on the racing team, Days of Thunder is set for another lap around the track, this time with a 2028 finish line.