Summary
- Anne Hathaway has joined the new Days of Thunder opposite Tom Cruise
- The official announcement places the film in summer 2028
- Cruise returns as Cole Trickle and is also producing
- Jonathan Levine directs from a screenplay by Will Staples
- No filming start date has yet been announced
Anne Hathaway will star opposite Tom Cruise in the new Days of Thunder, with Paramount scheduling Cole Trickle’s return for summer 2028.
Cruise confirmed Hathaway’s involvement in an official post from Daytona on August 29, 2026, showing the two actors beside a NASCAR race car marked “Days of Thunder — Summer 2028.” Deadline reports a June 2, 2028 release date.
The announcement turns a sequel that had long existed as a subject of discussion into a clearly organised production: it now has a studio, date, director, writer, producers and a second major cast member. A filming start and full plot have not yet been announced.
Anne Hathaway enters the world of NASCAR
Paramount has not officially detailed Hathaway’s character. Deadline reports that she is expected to play a team owner and engineer, placing her at the technical and managerial centre of racing rather than simply at the edge of Cole Trickle’s story.
That wording remains a production report rather than a full official synopsis, so it is not yet known whether her character will be an ally, rival or the person behind Trickle’s return to the track. No other new cast members have been announced.
Tom Cruise returns as Cole Trickle
Cruise reprises racing driver Cole Trickle, with the sequel scheduled 38 years after the 1990 original. The first Days of Thunder followed a volatile NASCAR rookie learning to handle both speed and the personal conflicts around him.
The new film has not revealed where Trickle is in his career. A team owner and engineer character leaves room for a story about mentorship, management or a return to active competition, but any specific version remains speculation.
Jonathan Levine directs, Will Staples writes
Jonathan Levine will direct after being selected by Paramount ahead of Hathaway’s announcement. Will Staples wrote the screenplay, while Tom Cruise is also producing alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper.
The team creates a direct bridge to the first film through Cruise and Bruckheimer. Tony Scott, who directed the 1990 movie, died in 2012, leaving Levine to approach a sequel with a highly specific visual legacy: speed, machinery, close racing photography and the spectacle of NASCAR.
IMAX, Dolby, 4DX and premium screens
The sequel will be filmed for IMAX and will also be available in Dolby Cinema, 4DX and other premium large formats. Paramount is therefore treating it as a major theatrical release built around the physical sensation of speed, engine sound and large-scale racing sequences.
No technical details have been released about cameras, capture format, lenses or how the races will be photographed. The IMAX reference describes the production and distribution ambition, not yet the precise cinematography system.
From the 1990 film to a new era of racing cinema
The original Days of Thunder, written by Robert Towne and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, earned $82.6 million in North America and $157.9 million worldwide. Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes, Caroline Williams and Michael Rooker also starred.
The sequel arrives as speed-driven cinema again carries major commercial value, while Cruise demonstrated with Top Gun: Maverick that he can revisit an older role without relying solely on nostalgia. Days of Thunder faces a steeper challenge: the original did not leave the same cultural footprint as Top Gun, and NASCAR must work dramatically for audiences outside the United States.
The production stage
According to Deadline, the project has moved from early development into active preparation and fast-track planning as Cruise’s next film. A director, completed screenplay, main producers, co-star and release date all mark clear progress.
However, no filming start, complete cast or detailed production schedule had been made public by the time of the announcement. The film should therefore be described as confirmed and actively preparing, not as a production that has already completed or necessarily begun principal photography.
What we think
Casting Anne Hathaway gives the sequel more than another major name. A character combining team ownership and engineering could shift the emphasis from a simple Cole Trickle comeback to a contemporary story about collaboration, technology and power within NASCAR. The key will be for Jonathan Levine to develop his own visual language for racing without copying Tony Scott or repeating the Top Gun: Maverick formula.
Frequently asked questions
When will the new Days of Thunder be released?
The official announcement places the film in summer 2028, while Deadline reports June 2, 2028.
Who will Anne Hathaway play?
She is expected to portray a team owner and engineer, although Paramount has not yet released a full official character description.
Who directs and writes the sequel?
Jonathan Levine directs from a screenplay by Will Staples.
Has filming started?
No official filming start has been announced. The production is in active preparation with key personnel and a release date in place.
