Anne Hathaway joins Tom Cruise in ‘Days of Thunder 2’, film set for summer 2028

Anne Hathaway has joined Tom Cruise in the upcoming sequel “Days of Thunder 2”, bringing the two Hollywood stars together on screen for the first time. Cruise announced Hathaway’s casting through a video shared on social media, confirming that the Paramount film is scheduled to arrive in summer 2028. Jonathan Levine will direct the sequel, with Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper producing.

The announcement video showed Cruise and Hathaway walking towards a car as the words “summer 2028” appeared on screen. “We are coming... summer 2028,” Cruise said, before Hathaway, who is pregnant, joked that she would first have her baby and then make the film with him. “Days of Thunder. Summer 2028,” Cruise wrote alongside the video.

Cruise returns as Cole Trickle

Cruise will reprise his role as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, more than three decades after playing the character in the original “Days of Thunder”, released in 1990. Directed by Tony Scott, the first film followed the ambitious Trickle as he entered the highly competitive world of NASCAR racing and attempted to establish himself on the circuit. The film combined high-speed racing sequences with the personal and professional conflicts surrounding its central character.

Nicole Kidman played neurosurgeon Dr Claire Lewicki, while Robert Duvall appeared as veteran crew chief Harry Hogge. The cast also included Randy Quaid, Michael Rooker, Cary Elwes and John C Reilly. The film grossed more than $150 million worldwide and has retained a following among racing and Cruise fans. Details about Hathaway’s character in the sequel have not yet been disclosed, while further casting and plot information are expected closer to production.

Cruise, Hathaway team up for first time

The project marks the first film collaboration between Cruise and Hathaway, despite both having spent decades among Hollywood’s most prominent stars. Hathaway was most recently seen as Penelope in Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey”, which became a major global box-office success. She has also been associated with several other high-profile projects in recent years.

For Cruise, “Days of Thunder 2” represents another return to a character from his earlier career after the enormous success of the “Top Gun” revival. “Top Gun: Maverick”, released 36 years after the original film, became the biggest box-office hit of Cruise’s career and demonstrated the commercial potential of revisiting his best-known films for a new generation. With “Days of Thunder 2” now targeting summer 2028, Cruise is preparing to return to the NASCAR track nearly four decades after Cole Trickle first appeared on screen.