Tom Cruise recruited Anne Hathaway for 'Days of Thunder 2', the sequel to the memorable film he starred in in 1990. In that first installment, the female star was Australian Nicole Kidman.
Paramount Pictures, the studio that will produce the feature film, announced the project through a post on its social media, which shows both stars next to a NASCAR race car.
"'Days of Thunder'. Summer of 2028," reads the post's caption. "Don't be late," added Tom Cruise in the clip.
According to Deadline, Cruise will reprise his role as the intrepid driver Cole Trickle in this sequel. While the outlet notes that plot details are scarce, it indicates that Hathaway will play an engineer who owns a racing team. Jonathan Levine ('Long Shot', 'Mr. Irrelevant') will direct the project.
In the world of NASCAR
'Days of Thunder', the original film, was directed by the late Tony Scott, premiered during the summer of 1990 and earned $157,9 million at the international box office.
The film's plot centers on Cole Trickle, a daring rookie driver who joins NASCAR and must overcome personal and professional challenges to achieve success. The film also introduced Nicole Kidman to a global audience; she soon after became Tom Cruise's wife, a marriage that lasted 11 years. The couple also starred in Ron Howard's 'Far and Away' and Stanley Kubrick's 'Eyes Wide Shut'.
Variety notes that 'Days of Thunder 2' is Cruise's first project since the end of the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise. The actor is also preparing another film in the 'Top Gun' universe and will star in Alejandro González Iñárritu's 'Digger,' a drama expected to be a strong contender on the awards and festival circuit.
A very busy year
Hathaway, for her part, has had a pretty busy 2026 with four films in theaters including 'Mother Mary', 'The Devil Wears Prada 2', 'The Odyssey' and 'The End of Oak Street'.
The actress will close out the year with the adaptation of Coleen Hoover's 'Verity', has just finished production on Adam Driver's military drama 'Alone at Dawn', and is working on its highly anticipated sequel 'The Princess Diaries 3'.
