36 years later, Tom Cruise announces return in ‘Days of Thunder’ sequel with Anne Hathaway

Tom Cruise made a dramatic entrance at Daytona International Speedway, jumping over a row of potted plants and onto a stage in front of 40 race-car drivers as he announced the return of one of his most recognisable racing roles.

The 64-year-old actor confirmed on Saturday that he will reprise his role as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle in a sequel to Days of Thunder. Cruise made the announcement hours before the Cup Series' regular-season finale at Daytona, where he also attended the pre-race drivers' meeting.

“It’s not just about racing,” Cruise told the packed room that included NASCAR executives, fans, corporate sponsors and military personnel. "It’s about the community and the people here. There’s something very special about racers and the whole community. It’s a culture, and I was very proud to be able to reflect that in the first ‘Days of Thunder,’ and I am honored to share it with the world. ...

“That’s basically what we’re going to really go for with this one. Give the audience that opportunity to understand what it is as a team, as a community, what it is for NASCAR, and the speed, the excitement and all that danger and stuff.”

Anne Hathaway will co-star in the film, playing a team owner and engineer. Paramount Pictures is scheduled to release the sequel on June 2, 2028.

Cruise will also produce the film alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper. Jonathan Levine is directing from a screenplay by Will Staples. Bruckheimer, Harper and Staples were also present at the drivers' meeting alongside Cruise.

The actor spent time posing for photographs with fans and shaking hands with military personnel before leaving the venue in a black SUV. He was also expected to spend part of the race on pit road, putting him close to the action without getting behind the wheel.

Reports of a potential sequel first emerged in November 2024, when The Hollywood Reporter reported that Cruise had held discussions with Paramount about following up the 1990 NASCAR film.

Days of Thunder was a major summer box-office success despite receiving a largely negative critical response. The film was also mocked by sections of the NASCAR community for its exaggerated portrayal of stock-car racing. Over the years, however, it has developed a cult following among NASCAR fans, with several of its lines becoming part of racing culture.

“Rubbin’, son, is racin’”, the immortal line from crew chief Harry Hogge, played by Robert Duvall, still lives on today.

The original film came during Cruise's rise to Hollywood stardom following Top Gun. Having grown up racing cars on the "back streets of Kentucky", Cruise developed the idea for a film centred on fast cars and the people behind the wheel.

Cole Trickle's character was loosely inspired by late NASCAR driver Tim Richmond. Four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, now vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, has also publicly supported the idea of Cruise returning for a sequel.

Cruise and Gordon have remained friends over the years. Cruise attended a NASCAR banquet in 2015 to honour Gordon following his retirement, potentially opening the door for Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports to have a role in the new film.

Days of Thunder helped introduce NASCAR to a broader mainstream audience at a time when stock-car racing had limited exposure outside its core fan base. While films such as Thunder Road, The Last American Hero, Grand Prix, Stroker Ace and Smokey and the Bandit had previously explored racing, few had presented NASCAR on such a large scale.

Since then, Hollywood's attempts to portray NASCAR have produced mixed results. While Talladega Nights became a popular comedy, other projects, including Kevin James' Netflix series The Crew, failed to make a similar impact.

Cruise's reputation for performing his own stunts is also expected to be a major part of the sequel. He recalled one particularly dangerous experience while filming the original at Daytona.

“Last time I was at this track, actually, I was on the backstraight and I was shooting with two very heavy cameras traveling, I don’t know, 180 miles an hour, and suddenly the hood was off of the car,” Cruise said. "The sun is setting and I’m trying to get all my lines out before we lost the light.

“And, suddenly, the whole car was in flames. It turned from a barbecue to a bonfire on the backstraight. Couldn’t even get the crew to come in and help me just because radio (communications) didn’t work in the backstraight. I hear that’s still possible, correct? You guys didn’t fix that. Well, that’s good.”