Tom Cruise has finally confirmed the rumors. He has revealed when the Days of Thunder sequel will hit movie theaters.
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The longtime Hollywood star provided the information with a simple post on social media. He posed in front of a Chevrolet with the iconic City Chevrolet colors. The door of the vehicle featured the message, "Days of Thunder. Summer 2028."
Daytona International Speedway, the host of Saturday night's Coke Zero Sugar 400, served as the backdrop of the photo. Track president Frank Kelleher confirmed that this photoshoot took place on Thursday evening ahead of the race weekend.
Days of Thunder. Summer 2028. pic.twitter.com/l7tWBQVONm
— Tom Cruise (@TomCruise) August 29, 2026
Another interesting twist from the post is the co-star posing next to Cruise. This image revealed that Anne Hathaway will join in a prominent role. The exact details remain unknown, but Variety reports that she will play a race car team owner and engineer.
The original Days of Thunder, released in 1990, starred Cruise as open wheel racer Cole Trickle, who moved to the world of NASCAR. The racer overcame many struggles on the track while bonding with crew chief Harry Hogge (Robert Duvall).
The stacked cast of this film also featured Nicole Kidman as Dr. Claire Lewicki, Randy Quaid as team owner Tim Daland, Cary Elwes as racer car driver Russ Wheeler, and Michael Rooker as race car driver Rowdy Burns.
The film has remained a rumor for a very long time. Executives tied to the sequel visited race shops around the Charlotte area while speaking to drivers and team executives.
Days of Thunder's sequel then moved into production with backing from Paramount. Will Staples joined as a scriptwriter after previously working on Prime Video's Without Remorse, and multiple video games.
Jonathan Levine then reportedly signed on as director. He previously worked on 50/50, Warm Bodies, and Nine Perfect Strangers.
Throughout the process, multiple parties within the racing industry have expressed a desire to see a sequel. NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell said back in 2024 that he would love to see another Days of Thunder be made.
Hendrick Motorsports, the team that helped with production on the original film, also expressed this sentiment. Team vice chairman Jeff Gordon even told media members in early 2025 that he had spoken to Cruise about a sequel.
"I've absolutely talked to Tom (Cruise) about it because I want him to do the project, and we (Hendrick Motorsports) want to be a part of it if it were to happen," Gordon said in February 2025.
"He seems to like to tease it, so I don't know. We'll see what happens. If that doesn't happen, I feel pretty confident there's a project out there that will get NASCAR back on the big screen, if not just a really cool docuseries or something beyond even what we're already seeing right now."
