Tom Cruise has confirmed a sequel to Days of Thunder. The Top Gun star will bring his character Cole Trickle back to the big screen after 38 years.
Cruise made the announcement with Anne Hathaway on August 29, 2026, at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. The sequel is scheduled to reach theaters on June 2, 2028, with Paramount Pictures handling the release.
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Days of Thunder sequel cast
Tom Cruise will return as Cole Trickle, a fictional NASCAR driver, decades after the events of the 1990 movie. Anne Hathaway will join Cruise in a leading role as a NASCAR team owner and engineer, as confirmed by Paramount.
The rest of the cast has not been confirmed. The original movie featured Nicole Kidman as Dr. Claire Lewicki, Robert Duvall as crew chief Harry Hogge, Randy Quaid as team owner Tim Daland, Michael Rooker as racer Rowdy Burns, and Cary Elwes as driver Russ Wheeler. But there is no official confirmation that any of these actors will return for the sequel.
Days of Thunder sequel production details
Jonathan Levine will direct the new movie from a script by Will Staples. Cruise will produce the film with Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper.
The exact filming start date has not been announced. But the announcement video hinted that filming will start after Hathaway, who is pregnant, has her third child.
The first Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder arrived in theaters on June 27, 1990. It received mixed reviews from critics but developed a lasting following among NASCAR fans. It earned about $157.9 million worldwide against a reported $60 million budget.
Tony Scott directed the movie, with Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson serving as producers. Robert Towne wrote the screenplay, based on a story developed with Cruise. Hans Zimmer composed the score.
The movie follows Cole Trickle, a young driver entering the NASCAR circuit. He works with veteran crew chief Harry Hogge and competes against Rowdy Burns and Russ Wheeler. A major crash leaves Cole and Rowdy seriously injured. Cole later develops a relationship with Dr. Claire Lewicki. His story then builds toward the Daytona 500.
According to IMDb, filming ran from December 11, 1989, at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The production then moved to Daytona Beach and Darlington until May 7, 1990.
Edited by Palak Gupta
