Hollywood has apparently decided that one trip around the racetrack was not enough. Anne Hathaway is joining Tom Cruise for the long-awaited follow-up to Days of Thunder, with Paramount now targeting June 2, 2028, according to the latest report from Variety. Cruise will reprise his role as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, while Hathaway is set to play a racecar-team owner and engineer.
The announcement gives the long-developing project a serious boost. Reports about a sequel had circulated for years, but by July 2026, the project had moved considerably closer to the starting line, with Jonathan Levine attached to direct, Will Staples credited with the screenplay, and Cruise and Jerry Bruckheimer producing.
Anne Hathaway to Star Opposite Tom Cruise
For fans who thought Hollywood had finally run out of old films to revive, Days of Thunder has apparently arrived to prove them wrong. The original 1990 movie introduced Cruise as Cole Trickle, a talented but hot-headed driver trying to establish himself in NASCAR. More than three decades later, Cruise is returning to the driver’s seat — because apparently retirement is merely a brief pit stop when your name is Tom Cruise.
The sequel has also benefited from the renewed popularity of racing movies. The success of F1 helped intensify interest around another major racing production, while discussions about a possible connection between Cruise’s Cole Trickle and Brad Pitt’s F1 character, Sonny Hayes, have previously circulated. However, no such crossover has been confirmed for the new film.
Anne Hathaway Takes the Wheel
Hathaway’s reported role adds a fresh dimension to the sequel. Rather than simply arriving as another passenger in Cole Trickle’s racing world, she is expected to portray a team owner and engineer, putting her character in a position to influence the racing operation from behind the scenes. Plot details remain tightly guarded, however, leaving Hollywood observers plenty of room to speculate and the internet plenty of opportunity to invent the rest.
And while the movie is not scheduled until 2028, the announcement has already generated considerable excitement among fans. Cruise himself promoted the news on August 29 with the message “Days of Thunder. Summer 2028,” effectively giving the sequel its biggest green light yet. For Hollywood, that means nostalgia has once again pulled into the fast lane — with Hathaway now sitting beside Cruise for the ride.
Whether Days of Thunder 2 becomes another successful Cruise revival or simply proves that Hollywood believes every classic deserves another lap remains to be seen. For now, Buzz Legit FC readers should keep their eyes on the racetrack, because more casting, story and production details could emerge before the 2028 flag drops.
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