Tom Cruise is developing a sequel to his 1990 racing drama Days of Thunder, with Anne Hathaway cast as a team owner and engineer. This pairing marks the stars' first collaboration. Paramount has scheduled the film for June 2, 2028. Cruise has a story credit on the original, having pitched the concept after exposure to the NASCAR world alongside legendary screenwriter Robert Towne. The 1990 film reunited Cruise with director Tony Scott and producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson after their Top Gun success, but it underperformed financially—making nearly $100 million less than its predecessor in North America and getting overshadowed by surprise hits like Ghost and Presumed Innocent. According to Decider, that commercial weakness makes this sequel a notably riskier proposition than Top Gun: Maverick proved to be.
Cruise's decision to revisit the material likely reflects the pandemic-era success of Top Gun: Maverick. That 2022 sequel overcame decades of development delays to become a global box-office phenomenon, suggesting to studios that legacy projects can still resonate with audiences. For Cruise personally, Days of Thunder holds particular weight: it was his second and final collaboration with the late director Tony Scott, who went on to become one of cinema's most exciting thriller directors during the 1990s and 2000s, particularly through his collaborations with Denzel Washington.
Hathaway's casting represents an unconventional choice for legacy sequels. Rather than a romantic interest, her character is positioned as a professional peer, mirroring recent Mission: Impossible installments.
The film arrives in summer 2028 alongside significant competition. One month earlier, an X-Men reboot is scheduled. One week prior, Disney releases a Lilo & Stitch live-action sequel, with Incredibles 3 coming two weeks after Days of Thunder. For those wanting to prepare by rewatching the original, it's available on Paramount+ without advertisements. The presence on Paramount+ feels thematically appropriate given the original's 1990 Paramount theatrical release. It's also available on PlutoTV with frequent ad breaks, or through digital rental and purchase. Multiple viewing options ensure audiences can catch up on the 1990 racing drama before the sequel arrives.