Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway are set to headline a new sequel to Days of Thunder, the high-octane 1990 racing drama that helped cement Cruise’s status as one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars.
Cruise, 64, and Hathaway, 43, who stars in Odyssey, confirmed the project with a promotional image and video posted across social media, immediately fueling excitement among fans of the original film.
In the photo, the two Hollywood veterans are seen leaning against a green-and-yellow race car at Daytona International Speedway, offering the first glimpse at the long-awaited return to the world of NASCAR racing.
Cruise will return as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, while Hathaway is joining the franchise as a team owner and engineer. Cruise is also producing the film with Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper.
The action sports film is scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 2, 2028. It will be shot for Imax and will also play in Dolby cinemas, 4DX and premium large-format screens, according to Deadline.
The original Days of Thunder also holds a notable place in Cruise’s personal history, as he famously met his former wife Nicole Kidman while making the movie.
Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway are set to star in an upcoming sequel to the 1990 film Days of Thunder
Cruise famously met his ex-wife Nicole Kidman on the set of the original movie
Paramount Pictures is producing the new flick, Will Staples will write the script, and Jonathan Levine will direct.
Cruise and Hathaway joined forces in a brief and lighthearted video, in which the actress warmly greeted viewers with a ‘Hey!’ while leaning into the camera.
They coordinated in blue jeans, with the actor wearing a pale blue button-up shirt with cuffed sleeves. Hathaway wore a similar shirt, with hers in a beige hue.
Her pregnancy bump was covered, as the star awaits baby number three with husband Adam Shulman.
And she wore a coordinating cowboy hat as she and her co-star eventually stepped away from the camera and walked over to the parked vehicle, which had a decal reading: ‘Days of Thunder 2, summer 2028.’
‘Now what?’ Cruise asked Hathaway before she echoed, ‘Now what? Let’s make the movie!’
She quipped, ‘I’m gonna have this baby, and then we’re going to make this movie.’
Cruise approved, ‘That’s a good idea. You have the baby and then we’re gonna make the movie.’
The original Days of Thunder was directed by the late Tony Scott and earned $82.6 million at the domestic box office, and raked in $157.9M worldwide.
Cary Elwes, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Caroline Williams and Michael Rooker also appeared in the picture.
The 64-year-old leading man and 43-year-old Odyssey star revealed the news with a promotional photo and video shared across social media
Cruise, who is producing alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper, will reprise his role as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, and Hathaway will play a team owner and engineer
Cruise pictured right on the Days of Thunder set with producer Jerry Bruckheimer
Earlier this year, Elwes spoke about being impressed by Cruise’s dedication during filming.
The actors did the majority of their own stunts as they portrayed race car drivers in the movie.
Elwes shared with Entertainment Tonight (ET) that Cruise crashed his car into a wall on the first day, and his last words before impact were, ‘Hello, wall.’
‘Tom put a car in the wall, actually, on his first day of driving, and these things are not cheap,’ he recalled. ‘And he was so funny on film.’
Elwes also praised the Hollywood icon’s professionalism.
‘He’s a terrific guy. He really is so fun to work with, so, so professional and so supportive of everybody,’ he gushed.
