Nearly four decades after Days of Thunder first hit theaters, Tom Cruise is returning to the driver's seat for a sequel with Anne Hathaway joining the cast.The original Days of Thunder premiered in theaters on June 27, 1990, in which Cruise played Cole Trickle, a hot-blooded, young NASCAR driver, who survived fierce rivalry and a near-fatal crash to compete in the Daytona 500.Cruise starred opposite Nicole Kidman in the original. Her role, Dr. Claire Lewicki, is Trickle's love interest, while Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker) is his rival. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostRandy Quaid starred as Tim Daland, the car salesman who convinces Cole Trickle to join the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.Meanwhile, Paramount Pictures has now scheduled the sequel for June 2, 2028.Tom Cruise will reprise his role as Trickle, while Anne Hathaway is set to play a racecar team owner and engineer. As of writing, the plot remains under wraps.On the set of Days of Thunder - Source: GettyThe new film will be directed by Jonathan Levine, who has directed movies Long Shot and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The producers for the film will be Tom Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Tommy Harper.Anne Hathaway discusses busy yearFollowing the announcement, Tom Cruise expressed his happiness at the casting of Anne Hathaway through a promotional photo where both actors were shown at a NASCAR track.The 1990 film was directed by Tony Scott. The initial film followed Trickle after he was recruited to a new NASCAR team by retired racing champion Harry Hogge, played by Robert Duvall. Nicole Kidman, Randy Quaid, and John C. Reilly also starred in the original.Anne Hathaway has had a busy 2026, appearing in Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, and The Odyssey, with The End of Oak Street and Verity also part of her lineup this year.The actress recently wrapped Alone at Dawn with Adam Driver and is also working on the third installment of Princess Diaries.In April, she talked about her packed 2026 schedule via The Hollywood Reporter."When I got my schedule for this year from all the wonderful film studios that I've worked with, and I saw it, I said. 'I kind of thought I was being punked.' But then they showed me that, 'No, no, no. All of these dates were going to hold.' And I just said, 'As long as audiences don't get sick of my face.'"Anne Hathaway followed it up with a reassurance that she "would not blame" the audience if they grew tired of seeing her onscreen."I would not blame them if they did. Let's go. I think it's fun. I love making movies. But I also love that audiences want to go see original things."