Filming for Days of Thunder 2 Finally Kicks Off March 2027

The roar of engines might be a long way off, but the signal light has turned green: production on Days of Thunder 2 is slated to begin in March 2027.

After decades of rumors and occasional teases, the studio quietly set the cameras rolling next spring. Fans of the 1990 original — a surprise cultural hit that raced to more than $157 million at the box office — have been waiting to see whether Cole Trickle's story will translate to a new era of speed, sponsorships and high-stakes rivalries.

The first film put a young, talented driver at the center of a brutal, glamorous world. Cole was raw. Arrogant at times. Brilliant when it mattered. That tension between ego and teamwork drove the drama then. It could be fertile ground now, too, as modern NASCAR grapples with changing technology, media scrutiny, and a new generation of stars.

At the helm this time is Jonathan Levine, the director known for mixing sharp character work with offbeat humor in films like 50/50 and The Wackness. The casting leans big: Tom Cruise returns, and Anne Hathaway is attached, signaling that the sequel aims to balance pulse-pounding race spectacle with character-driven stakes.

Mark your calendars: the release is scheduled for June 2, 2028. That gives the production roughly a year of filming and post-production to tune the engines, polish the sequences, and build the marketing push that a legacy property demands.

So what can fans expect? A faithful revisitation of racing lore, or a modern reinvention that retools the original's themes for contemporary audiences? Will Levine steer the franchise into new emotional territory, or double down on the adrenaline that made the first film a crowd-pleaser?

Either way, the announcement sparks curiosity more than answers—exactly the engine you want humming before a big race. Buckle up; the circuit is gearing up for a comeback.