LOS ANGELES — Nearly 40 years after Tom Cruise first climbed behind the wheel as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, he is ready to return to the racetrack.
Cruise will reprise his role in the upcoming follow-up to the 1990 racing drama Days of Thunder, with Anne Hathaway joining the cast in a new leading role. Hathaway will portray a race team owner and engineer, bringing two of Hollywood’s biggest stars together on screen for the first time.
The original Days of Thunder, directed by Tony Scott, followed the ambitious Trickle as he attempted to establish himself in NASCAR. Cruise’s character worked alongside veteran crew chief Harry Hogge, played by Robert Duvall, while Nicole Kidman starred as Dr. Claire Lewicki. The film became a memorable entry in Cruise’s career and remains closely linked to NASCAR racing’s high-speed spectacle. Now, Cruise is bringing Cole Trickle back.
Cruise will not only star in the new film but will also serve as a producer alongside longtime Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper. Bruckheimer produced the original film and is once again helping guide the franchise back to the big screen.
The project comes at an interesting point in Cruise’s career. Following the enormous success of Top Gun: Maverick, which revisited another of his signature characters decades after the original, the actor is once again returning to a beloved role with clear box-office appeal.
The Days of Thunder sequel arrives 38 years after the original, giving Cruise another chance to revisit one of his most recognizable characters.
Hathaway’s casting adds an intriguing new element to the franchise. Rather than simply serving as a love interest, her character will be a team owner and engineer, placing her directly in NASCAR’s competitive, technical world and strengthening the film’s core dynamic. Hathaway has been on a mission to be part of incredible projects in 2026, including The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Odyssey, The End of Oak Street, and Mother Mary, to name a few.
The role allows Hathaway to bring a different kind of energy to the franchise while creating a new professional partnership with Cruise’s Cole Trickle. Plot details remain under wraps, but the combination of a veteran driver and an accomplished team owner-engineer suggests a more compelling racing rivalry.
Cruise and Hathaway announced the project from Daytona International Speedway, posing together beside a race car associated with Cole Trickle.
Jonathan Levine is set to direct the new Days of Thunder from a screenplay by Will Staples. Levine’s previous directing credits include 50/50, Warm Bodies, and Long Shot, while Staples is known for his work as a screenwriter.
The sequel is also being designed with the theatrical experience in mind. The movie will be filmed for IMAX and is expected to receive a premium-format theatrical release, including Dolby Cinema and 4DX.
That approach feels particularly fitting for a movie built around speed, racing and the visceral experience of being behind the wheel.
The new Days of Thunder is scheduled to hit theaters on June 2, 2028. Under wraps, Cruise’s return as Cole Trickle, Hathaway’s intriguing new role, and Bruckheimer’s involvement give the project a strong mix of star power, racing appeal, and franchise recognition.
For Cruise, it represents another return to a character from an earlier chapter of his career. For audiences, it offers the chance to see Cole Trickle back where he belongs — behind the wheel and chasing the checkered flag.
*DAYS OF THUNDER WILL BE FILMED FOR IMAX
