Tom Cruise made a dramatic entrance at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, leaping over a row of potted plants to reach the stage in front of 40 professional race-car drivers. The 64-year-old actor used the setting of the Cup Series’ regular-season finale to announce that he will reprise his iconic role as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle in a sequel to the 1990 film Days of Thunder.
Addressing a room filled with NASCAR executives, fans, corporate sponsors, and military personnel, Cruise emphasized that the new project aims to capture the essence of the racing world. “It’s not just about racing,” he stated. “It’s about the community and the people here. There’s something very special about racers and the whole community. It’s a culture, and I was very proud to be able to reflect that in the first Days of Thunder, and I am honoured to share it with the world.” He added that the film will focus on the dynamics of the team, the intensity of the sport, and the inherent dangers involved.
The upcoming film, which is scheduled for release by Paramount Pictures on June 2, 2028, will feature Anne Hathaway as a team owner and engineer. Cruise is set to produce the project alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper, with Jonathan Levine directing from a script by Will Staples. Following the announcement, Cruise spent time engaging with attendees, including military members, before heading to pit road to observe the ongoing race action.
The development of a sequel follows reports from The Hollywood Reporter in November 2024 regarding discussions between Cruise and Paramount. While the original movie was initially met with mixed critical reviews and some mockery within the NASCAR industry for its dramatic flair, it has since achieved cult status. Lines such as “Rubbin,’ son, is racin’,” delivered by Robert Duvall’s character, Harry Hogge, remain staples in racing culture today.
The original film was born from Cruise’s own interest in fast cars and his upbringing in Kentucky, combined with the success he experienced following Top Gun. It served as a mainstream introduction to stock-car racing for a wide audience, standing out among previous racing films like Thunder Road, The Last American Hero, and Smokey and the Bandit. Since then, NASCAR’s portrayals on screen have been inconsistent, with hits like Talladega Nights contrasted by less successful projects like the Netflix series The Crew.
Four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, currently the vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports, has been a vocal supporter of a potential sequel. Given the long-standing friendship between Gordon and Cruise—which included Cruise honoring Gordon at a 2015 retirement banquet—industry observers suggest there is a strong possibility for collaboration between the production and Hendrick Motorsports. As the project moves forward, fans expect Cruise to maintain his reputation for performing his own stunts, a hallmark of his career that he famously demonstrated during the production of the first film. The report also notes that riding high from his “Top Gun” fame and having grown up racing cars on the “back streets of Kentucky,” Cruise had an idea for a movie based on fast cars and the characters who raced them. The report also notes that gordon and Cruise have become friends over the years – Cruise showed up at a 2015 NASCAR banquet to honor the retiring Gordon – which could boost the prospect of Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports’ involvement in a sequel. The report also notes that nASCAR has seen more swings and misses than checkered flags when it comes to its portrayal on the big or small screen since “Days of Thunder.” For every “Talladega Nights,” there are 10 more bombs such as comedian Kevin. The report also notes that “That’s basically what we’re going to really go for with this one. The report also notes that as a community, what it is for NASCAR, and the speed, the excitement and all that danger and stuff.”, give the audience that opportunity to understand what it is as a team.
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