Sequel to Days of Thunder Gets a Release Date

The announcement from the 64-year-old Hollywood star mentioned Anne Hathaway, who will apparently be part of the revived cult classic. Robert Duvall, who appeared in the original film, died in February. Randy Quaid, who played Tim Daland, the car dealer who wanted to build a NASCAR racing team, is still alive and is now 75. In 2025, NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon said he wanted to be part of the Days of Thunder sequel, although that was before Cruise's involvement in the film was confirmed.

It is not yet clear what the sequel to the 1990 film will be called. The NASCAR race car shown in the announcement had “Days of Thunder” written on its side and was painted in the iconic livery used in the first film. The name Cole Trickle—the driver played by Tom Cruise in the original—was also displayed above the driver's door.

In July, it became known that Cruise had signed a deal with Paramount for a sequel to the film. The studio was reportedly looking for a director for the new movie. That director will be Jonathan Levine, while Jerry Bruckheimer is returning as a producer. The original Days of Thunder was directed by Tony Scott, who died in 2012.

After the success of Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise said he wanted to revive Days of Thunder and give it the same style. Interestingly, the original motorsports drama was released after the actor starred in the original Top Gun.