Confirmation at Daytona International Speedway
Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway used Saturday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway as the backdrop for a social-media announcement of "Days of Thunder 2," releasing a video from the venue in which Cruise told viewers, "We're coming out summer of 2028. Don't be late." Hathaway joined Cruise beside a Next-Gen car painted in a green-and-yellow Days of Thunder-themed scheme, and Cruise followed up by posting "Days of Thunder. Summer 2028." on his verified account the same day. The original film, released in 1990, centered on stock car racing at Daytona and starred Cruise as a young driver working with a crew chief to recover from a crash and ultimately win the Daytona 500.
Sequel status and casting
The 2028 date formalizes a project that had previously been reported as in development. Hathaway's appearance confirms her as a co-star of the sequel; the announcement video did not specify her role. It also remains unconfirmed whether Cruise, who will be 66 in the summer of 2028, will reprise an on-track driving role; the oldest NASCAR Cup Series winner is Harry Gant, who won at Michigan in August 1992 at age 52.
NASCAR crossover and promotional setting
The choice of Daytona for the announcement links the sequel directly to the NASCAR calendar, with the Cup Series race broadcast scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Coverage of the announcement framed the sequel as a potential boost for a sport that peaked in popularity in the mid-2000s and has stabilized after a subsequent decline.
What remains unknown
The video did not disclose a director, writer, distributor, production studio, or further cast beyond Cruise and Hathaway, and no trailer, synopsis, or exact 2028 release date was provided.
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