Anne Hathaway Joins ‘Days of Thunder’ Sequel

(L to R) Tom Cruise and Anne Hathaway announce ‘Days of Thunder 2’ for a summer 2028 release.

Preview:

Anne Hathaway is joining the ‘Days of Thunder’ sequel.
Tom Cruise will star in and produce the movie.
Jonathan Levine is in the director’s driving seat.

The ‘Days of Thunder’ sequel is really ready to put pedal to the metal and feel the need for spee… No, that one’s something else.

Star./producer Tom Cruise used an event at the Daytona International Speedway to announce that ‘The Odyssey’s Anne Hathaway is joining him in the new movie.

With ‘Long Shot’ director Jonathan Levine confirmed to call the shots in IMAX, news arrives that Hathaway will play a race car team owner and engineer.

What was the story of ‘Days of Thunder?’

‘Days of Thunder 2’ is scheduled for release in summer 2028.

Released in 1990 following the success of movies such as ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Days of Thunder’ followed a similar storyline about a hot-headed lead character, albeit relocated to a new venue.

Produced by Bruckheimer (working back then with late colleague Don Simpson) and directed by ‘Top Gun’s Tony Scott, ‘Thunder’ follows the exploits of the improbably named Cole Trickle (Cruise), a scrappy race car driver recruited to a new NASCAR team led by a retired racing legend played by Robert Duvall.

‘Days of Thunder’ wasn’t considered a box office hit upon its release (it made $157 million globally off a production budget of $60 million), and the film received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. Yet it has since been re-evaluated.

Will Staples (‘Without Remorse’) has written the latest draft of the sequel’s script and we can imagine Cruise as an older Trickle mentoring younger drivers, much in the style of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’s pilot action.

Where else can we see Anne Hathaway?

Anne Hathaway as Denise Platt in ‘The End of Oak Street’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo: Daniel McFadden.

Hathaway has had a busy year so far between ‘Mother Mary,’‘The Devil Wears Prada 2,’ ‘The Odyssey’ and ‘The End of Oak Street.’

Next up for the actor is Coleen Hoover adaptation ‘Verity,’ due for release on October 2.

95th Oscars® nominee Tom Cruise arrives at the Oscar Nominee Luncheon held in the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton on Monday, February 13, 2023. The 95th Oscars will air on Sunday, March 12, 2023 live on ABC. Credit/Provider: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.