Tom Cruise is dropping the hammer on Days of Thunder 2, a sequel to the classic 1990 NASCAR action movie.
Cruise was joined by co-star Anne Hathaway in a teaser video announcing that Days of Thunder 2 will race into theaters in summer 2028. The two stars pose next to a lime-green NASCAR Next Gen car with “Cole Trickle” printed on the roof above the driver’s seat and the stylized Days of Thunder 2 logo emblazoned across the door.
The supposedly candid clip features some banter between the two actors, as Hathaway—who’s pregnant with her third child with husband Adam Shulman—says, “I’m gonna have this baby and then we’re going to make this movie.”
Cruise responds, “That’s a good idea. You have the baby and then we’ll go make the movie. We’re coming out summer of 2028. Don’t be late.”
Paramount previously tapped Jonathan Levine (50/50, Warm Bodies, Long Shot) to direct from a script by Will Staples. In addition to reprising his role as hotshot driver Cole Trickle, Cruise is producing alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper. Several other outlets have confirmed that the movie is slated for release on June 2, 2028, in Imax, Dolby theaters, 4DX, and premium large-screen formats.
In the original, Cruise’s Trickle was an open-wheel driver from California with raw talent and no stock car experience. The late Robert Duvall played Harry Hogge, the veteran crew chief coaxed out of retirement to build and race stock cars, while Randy Quaid played the car dealer bankrolling the team.
Reviews at the time were mixed—critics found the plot formulaic, which it is. It made a respectable $157 million worldwide, well short of the $357 million that Top Gun made with the same team of Cruise, Bruckheimer, Don Simpson and the Tony Scott, who directed both movies, in 1986. Over the years it’s become a genuine favorite among racing fans.