Anne Hathaway joins Tom Cruise in the Days of Thunder sequel. Paramount Pictures has formalized this new chapter centered on NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, nearly forty years after Tony Scott's film. Its U.S. release is scheduled for June 2, 2028.
Tom Cruise is set to reprise the role of Cole Trickle, the impulsive young racer who has become one of NASCAR’s best-known fictional figures. Anne Hathaway will portray, for her part, an engineer who also owns a racing team. The nature of their relationship and the exact place of her character in Cole’s journey remain unclear.
The announcement was made at the Daytona International Speedway, on the sidelines of a NASCAR Cup Series race. Tom Cruise said the new film won’t be limited to the sport itself: it will also delve into how a team works, the NASCAR community, and the risks inherent in the discipline.
Released in 1990, Days of Thunder followed Cole Trickle as he was recruited to join a new NASCAR team. Guided by crew chief Harry Hogge, played by Robert Duvall, the driver had to learn to rein in his temper and go up against his rivals on the track. Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid, Michael Rooker, Cary Elwes, and John C. Reilly complete the cast.
The original film was directed by Tony Scott and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Tom Cruise and the producer will reunite for this sequel after Top Gun: Maverick, another belated continuation of a Tony Scott film.
Jonathan Levine, director of 50/50, Warm Bodies and Seduce Me If You Can!, will helm the feature based on a script by Will Staples. Tom Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper will produce.
The project will be designed and shot for IMAX screens. Paramount also plans a release in several premium formats, including Dolby Cinema and 4DX. The start of principal photography and the locations selected for the shoot have not yet been announced.
This sequel also marks a fresh franchise project for Anne Hathaway, who has recently stepped back into Andrea Sachs's shoes in The Devil Wears Prada 2. No other casting details for Days of Thunder 2 have been released at this stage.
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