Tom Cruise to Return as NASCAR Driver Cole Trickle in ‘Days of Thunder’ Sequel Coming 2028

Actor Tom Cruise revealed plans Saturday to resurrect his role as fictional NASCAR driver Cole Trickle in a long-awaited follow-up to the 1990 racing drama “Days of Thunder.” The announcement came from Daytona International Speedway, coinciding with NASCAR’s regular-season finale. Paramount Pictures will distribute the film on June 2, 2028.

Anne Hathaway has signed on to play a team owner and engineer opposite Cruise in the project. Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper will produce alongside Cruise, while director Jonathan Levine will helm the film from a script by Will Staples. The collaboration represents a significant commitment to bringing the sequel to fruition after decades of speculation.

Cruise had explored sequel possibilities with Paramount as of November 2024, according to reporting from The Hollywood Reporter. The original film, released during Cruise’s ascendancy following “Top Gun,” became a critical punching bag initially but has since achieved cult status within the NASCAR community, particularly for quotable dialogue like crew chief Harry Hogge’s famous line, “Rubbin’, son, is racin’,” delivered by Robert Duvall.

Jeff Gordon, the four-time Cup Series champion and current vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports, has publicly advocated for a sequel. Gordon and Cruise have maintained a friendship for years, evidenced by Cruise’s appearance at a 2015 NASCAR banquet honoring Gordon’s retirement. This relationship could facilitate involvement from Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports in the new film.

The original “Days of Thunder” exposed NASCAR to mainstream audiences with limited prior exposure to stock-car racing. While earlier racing films existed—including “Thunder Road,” “Grand Prix,” “Stroker Ace,” and “Smokey and the Bandit”—none achieved the mainstream prominence of the Cruise vehicle. NASCAR’s subsequent portrayals in film and television have produced mixed results, with successes like “Talladega Nights” offset by failures such as Kevin James’ cancelled Netflix comedy series “The Crew.”