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Tom Cruise will return as NASCAR driver Cole Trickle in a sequel to the 1990 racing film “Days of Thunder,” with the follow-up scheduled to hit theaters in June 2028. The 64-year-old actor announced the project Saturday at Daytona International Speedway, hours before the NASCAR Cup Series regular-season finale. He also attended the pre-race drivers’ meeting and spoke about the importance of NASCAR’s racing culture and community. Cruise said the new film will seek to give audiences a deeper understanding of NASCAR as a team sport and community while showcasing the speed, excitement and danger of racing. Anne Hathaway will co-star in the film, portraying a team owner and engineer. Paramount Pictures has set June 2, 2028, for its theatrical release. Cruise will produce the movie alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper. Jonathan Levine will direct from a screenplay by Will Staples. Bruckheimer, Harper and Staples also joined Cruise at the drivers’ meeting. Cruise made a high-energy appearance at the speedway, jumping onto the stage before posing for photographs, greeting fans and military personnel and preparing to watch the race from pit road. The sequel follows years of speculation about a follow-up to “Days of Thunder.” The Hollywood Reporter reported in November 2024 that Cruise had discussed the project with Paramount. The original film, directed by Tony Scott and produced by Bruckheimer, was a commercial success despite receiving poor reviews and drawing criticism within NASCAR circles for its exaggerated portrayal of stock-car racing. Over the years, however, it developed a cult following among NASCAR fans. Cruise’s character, Cole Trickle, was loosely inspired by late NASCAR driver Tim Richmond. The film helped introduce NASCAR to a broader mainstream audience at a time when stock-car racing had limited exposure outside its traditional fan base. Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon has previously encouraged Cruise to make a sequel. Gordon and Cruise have remained friends, raising the possibility that Hendrick Motorsports could potentially be involved in the new project. Cruise, known for performing many of his own stunts, also recalled filming a dangerous sequence at Daytona for the original movie. He said a car he was driving at high speed suddenly caught fire while he was filming on the backstretch. “Suddenly, the whole car was in flames,” Cruise recalled, describing the incident as turning “from a barbecue to a bonfire.” The upcoming sequel will mark Cruise’s return to the NASCAR world more than three decades after “Days of Thunder” first brought the sport to Hollywood’s mainstream audience.

Indian actor Manoj Bajpayee’s upcoming film Last Man in Tower, based on Aravind Adiga’s acclaimed novel of the same name, is set to hit theatres across India on September 11. Directed by Ben Rekhi, the film also stars Boman Irani and Divya Dutta. The screenplay has been adapted by Sooni Taraporevala, known for her collaborations with filmmaker Mira Nair on projects including Salaam Bombay!, Mississippi Masala and The Namesake. Presented by Rana Daggubati’s Spirit Media, the film follows Masterji, a retired schoolteacher who finds himself standing alone as people around him begin making decisions that go against his principles. As his neighbours see an opportunity to change their lives, Masterji’s determination to stick to his beliefs puts his relationships to the test. The story explores a conflict involving people’s homes and the difficult choices they face when offered the chance for a better future. Juhi Chaturvedi, known for films such as Piku and October, has written the dialogues, while Govind Vasantha has composed the music. Spirit Media recently released the teaser on Instagram with the caption: “Resilience never retires. But when one man stands in the way of everyone else's dreams, what happens next?” The film is produced by Rekhi, Guneet Dogra and Pratiksha Rao. Bajpayee was most recently seen in the financial thriller Governor: The Silent Saviour. He is widely known for his performances in films such as Gangs of Wasseypur, Special 26 and Sirf Ek Banda Kaafi Hai. Source: NDTV

Emraan Hashmi-starrer Awarapan 2 saw a noticeable drop in earnings on its second Monday but continued to stay well ahead of Sunny Deol's Batwara 1947 at the box office. According to trade tracker Sacnilk, Awarapan 2 earned Rs 2.75 crore net in India on Day 11 from 11,344 shows. The film's India gross collection has reached Rs 165.75 crore, while its domestic net collection stands at Rs 139 crore. The film also earned Rs 0.50 crore from overseas markets on Monday, taking its overseas gross to Rs 30.80 crore. Its worldwide gross collection has now reached Rs 196.55 crore. Meanwhile, Batwara 1947 continued to struggle at the box office. The film collected Rs 0.35 crore net in India on Day 11 from 4,330 shows, according to Sacnilk. Its India gross collection stands at Rs 44.09 crore, while the domestic net collection has reached Rs 37.15 crore. The Sunny Deol-starrer earned Rs 0.10 crore overseas on Day 11, taking its overseas gross to Rs 8.95 crore. Its worldwide gross collection now stands at Rs 53.04 crore. Taran Adarsh on Awarapan 2After the film's second weekend, trade analyst Taran Adarsh said Awarapan 2 had shown strong growth on Saturday and Sunday. He noted that Monday and Tuesday would be important for the film before the release of Toxic on Wednesday. About Awarapan 2Directed by Nitin Kakkar and produced by Vishesh Bhatt under Vishesh Films, Awarapan 2 is a sequel to the 2007 film Awarapan. The film stars Emraan Hashmi, Disha Patani and Shabana Azmi. While critics have given it mixed reviews, Hashmi's fans have praised his screen presence and performance. The film released alongside Sunny Deol and Rajkumar Santoshi's Batwara 1947 and has performed significantly better at the box office. About Batwara 1947Directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Rajkumar Santoshi, Batwara 1947 marks his reunion with Sunny Deol nearly three decades after their earlier collaborations, including Ghayal (1990), Damini (1993) and Ghatak (1996). The film is produced by Aamir Khan and Aparna Purohit under Aamir Khan Productions. Its music has been composed by A R Rahman, with lyrics by Javed Akhtar.

Ravi Teja-starrer Irumudi, a family drama centred on the bond between a father and his daughter, continued its impressive performance at the box office on Saturday. The film has earned more than Rs 47 crore worldwide within its first two days, according to trade tracker Sacnilk. In India, Irumudi collected an estimated Rs 16.10 crore on its second day. Its total India net collection has reached Rs 31.40 crore, while the gross collection stands at around Rs 36.45 crore. The film's earnings are being driven mainly by its Telugu version, which has contributed Rs 31.34 crore so far. The Tamil version has added around Rs 6 lakh to the total. The movie also attracted a strong audience turnout on Saturday. Its Telugu shows recorded an overall occupancy of 78.54%. The film registered 63% occupancy during morning shows, which rose to 80% in the afternoon. With more than Rs 16 crore earned on its second day alone, Irumudi is now moving closer to the Rs 50 crore mark worldwide.

Vivek Oberoi made a memorable debut with Company, but securing his first opportunity in Bollywood was far from easy. His father, veteran actor Suresh Oberoi, recalled how he personally went from one door to another in search of work for his son and eventually approached filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who gave Vivek the breakthrough that launched his career. Speaking in an interview with Nidhi Vasandani on her YouTube channel, Suresh said he had to struggle to find opportunities for Vivek just as he had done at the beginning of his own career. “I had to struggle for him again, went door to door. Like I used to take my pictures, now I was taking Vivek's pictures,” Suresh said. He recalled that he was working with Ram Gopal Varma when the filmmaker was looking for an actor for Company. Varma asked to see a recording of Vivek's acting. Suresh remembered that his son had a tape from his acting institute and arranged for the filmmaker to watch it. According to Suresh, Varma came over to view the tape and was immediately impressed by Vivek's performance. The filmmaker subsequently cast him in Company, which became a major turning point in the young actor's career. Vivek has since appeared in numerous films, but Suresh said Saathiya remains his personal favorite among his son's movies. He also recalled becoming extremely proud and emotional, even shedding tears, after watching Vivek's performance in Company. On the work front, Vivek Oberoi was last seen in Rohit Shetty's OTT action series Indian Police Force and the comedy film Mastiii 4. He is currently preparing for his role in Nitesh Tiwari's multi-part epic Ramayana. He is also set to appear in Vishal Ranjan Mishra's Grey, alongside Nithya Menen and Ashish Vidyarthi.  #Source: NDT 

Excitement is building around Rajinikanth’s upcoming film Jailer 2, with the full version of its song “Ala Bolelo” receiving a strong response from fans online. The sequel to the 2023 blockbuster Jailer is scheduled to hit cinemas on October 15, 2026. A 32-second promo of “Ala Bolelo” was released earlier and drew criticism from some social media users over the pronunciation of Malayalam words in the song. However, the full track, released on Friday, has received considerable attention from fans. One user reacted to the song on social media, saying, “Theatre gonna be blast,” comparing its energy to “Kaavaalaa,” “Tiger” and “Muthuvel Pandian Investigation.” Song sparks Malayalam pronunciation debate The promo featured Rajinikanth and Shamna Kasim, with Kasim dancing in a traditional kasavu saree. The clip ended with a brief appearance by Rajinikanth. The song contains several Malayalam words, but some Malayalam-speaking users objected to their pronunciation. One social media user urged the filmmakers to avoid using Malayalam in songs or dialogues unless it is pronounced correctly, saying that incorrect pronunciation could feel disrespectful to the language. Another user suggested hiring a lyricist and singer familiar with Malayalam. Despite the criticism, the song’s promo also received plenty of positive reactions from audiences. The music for Jailer 2 has been composed by Anirudh Ravichander. Arunraja Kamaraj wrote the lyrics along with Niranjana Raman, Aparna Harikumar and Deepthi Suresh. The film has been written and directed by Nelson Dilipkumar and produced by Kalanithi Maran under the banner of Sun Pictures. Jailer 2 is set to release in theatres on October 15, 2026. Source: NDTV

Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi has entered the coveted Rs 100 crore club with his latest film Awarapan 2, which has emerged as a major box-office success within just five days of its release. The sequel to the 2007 film Awarapan has maintained a strong run since its release, earning Rs 100.75 crore net in India by Tuesday, according to Sacnilk. The film’s performance has further strengthened Hashmi’s position at the box office following the success of Dhurandhar. On its fifth day, Awarapan 2 collected Rs 9.75 crore net in India from 11,060 shows. Its India gross collection has reached Rs 120.33 crore. The film also earned Rs 2 crore in overseas markets on Day 5, taking its total overseas gross to Rs 23.80 crore. Its worldwide gross collection now stands at Rs 144.13 crore. Awarapan 2 opened with Rs 22 crore on its first day from 9,033 shows. It recorded a significant jump on Saturday, collecting Rs 33.75 crore from 10,496 shows, followed by Rs 26 crore on Sunday from 9,403 shows. The film remained steady on Monday, earning Rs 9.25 crore, before adding another Rs 9.75 crore on its fifth day. The film was also the biggest performer in the Independence Day box-office race, collecting Rs 40.50 crore. Tamil Vishwanath & Sons earned Rs 26 crore, Batwara 1947 collected Rs 16.20 crore, Spider-Man: Brand New Day made Rs 12 crore, while the DC film earned Rs 6.30 crore. Awarapan 2 surpassed the lifetime India collection of the original Awarapan on its opening day. The 2007 film had earned Rs 7.75 crore net during its entire theatrical run. By Saturday, the sequel had also overtaken the lifetime collections of several of Hashmi’s successful films, including Haq (Rs 20 crore), Raaz 2 (Rs 25.50 crore), Ek Thi Daayan (Rs 26 crore) and Jannat (Rs 30 crore). The strong performance of Awarapan 2 has marked a significant box-office comeback for Hashmi, with the film benefiting from nostalgia surrounding the original and strong audience interest in its sequel.

Adam Driver is set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the supervillain Mister Sinister, while rising star Inde Navarette will portray Rogue in Marvel’s upcoming “X-Men” reboot. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced the new cast members Friday night at Disney’s D23 convention in Anaheim, California. Driver’s former “Girls” co-star Christopher Abbott will play Professor Charles Xavier, while Maya Boyd has been cast as Storm. The film, directed by Jake Schreier, is scheduled to hit theaters in May 2028. “Beef” creator Lee Sung Jin and “The Bear” co-showrunner Joanna Calo are writing the screenplay. Driver’s involvement in the “X-Men” project had been widely rumored for years, with speculation often suggesting he might portray Magneto. During the D23 presentation, Driver appeared on a large screen while the rest of the newly announced cast members appeared on stage. “Kevin and I had been talking for years about my joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I think we finally found the perfect film,” Driver said. He jokingly announced that he would play Magneto before correcting himself and revealing that he would instead portray Nathaniel Essex, the character better known as Mister Sinister. Navarette, who has quickly gained attention following her performance in the horror film “Obsession,” was also the subject of considerable casting speculation before her role as Rogue was confirmed. Previously announced cast members at the event included Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Kit Connor as Scott “Cyclops” Summers and Sadie Sink as Jean Grey. Sink’s role was revealed through her appearance in this summer’s Marvel hit “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.” Feige noted that many of the actors had only met one another backstage shortly before appearing before the audience. Marvel’s incorporation of the “X-Men” into the MCU became possible after Disney acquired 21st Century Fox’s film assets in 2019. The D23 presentation also featured updates on Disney’s upcoming “Star Wars” projects. Ryan Gosling and director Shawn Levy promoted “Star Wars: Starfighter,” which is scheduled for release in May 2027. Gosling will play Kade Auberon, a character described as a man from the less privileged side of the galaxy whose fate becomes connected with a powerful starfighter. Gosling said his early association with Disney played an important role in his career and described his return to the company decades later as life-changing. The event also featured appearances by “Star Wars: Ahsoka” star Rosario Dawson and Hayden Christensen, who will return as Anakin Skywalker in the second season of the Disney+ series. Marvel veterans Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell also appeared to promote “Avengers: Doomsday,” scheduled for release on Dec. 18. Downey, now playing Doctor Doom, is shown battling Thor, while Evans returns as Captain America. The trailer also features Ian McKellen as Magneto. Hugh Jackman appeared in a video message and suggested he may return as Wolverine, though Marvel has not definitively confirmed his participation. Disney also offered a preview of the upcoming Disney+ series “Visionquest,” starring Paul Bettany as Vision and James Spader as Ultron. The evening included a presentation for “Frozen 3,” with Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel performing for fans despite technical problems involving audio, video and stage doors. Josh Gad also performed a song as Olaf, while the cast of “The Greatest Showman” presented musical numbers from the stage adaptation of the 2017 film.

Yash-starrer action thriller Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups is set to arrive in cinemas on August 26, with the film securing an 'A' certificate from India’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Directed by Geetu Mohandas, the film was certified by the CBFC’s Bengaluru regional office on August 13, 2026. According to the certification details, Toxic is in Kannada and has a certified length of 194.12 metres. The official synopsis describes the film as the story of a gangster grappling with loyalty, morality and the search for redemption in post-independence Goa, where violence and jealousy dominate. Set against a dark and atmospheric backdrop, the film features intense action and morally conflicted characters while exploring the sacrifices involved in love and the pursuit of redemption. Toxic is produced by Venkat K Narayana under KVN Productions and Monster Mind Creations, with Geetu Mohandas directing. The film has been written and filmed in Kannada and English and will also be released in dubbed versions in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. The movie features an ensemble cast led by Yash and including Nayanthara, Huma Qureshi, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria and Rukmini Vasanth. #Source: NDTV

Emraan Hashmi-starrer Awarapan 2 appears to have gained an early advantage over Sunny Deol’s Batwara 1947 ahead of their box-office clash on Aug. 14. The two films are set to release on the eve of India’s Independence Day. Early booking trends show Awarapan 2 leading the race, helped by nostalgia surrounding Hashmi’s popular 2007 film Awarapan and his strong fan following. Meanwhile, Batwara 1947 is relying on Sunny Deol’s established appeal among mass and family audiences. Trade analyst Ramesh Bala told NDTV that Awarapan 2 currently has the upper hand in the opening-day battle. “Awarapan 2 has the edge in the opening battle, thanks to strong nostalgia and Emraan Hashmi’s cult following. But Batwara 1947 could score big with the mass and family audience. Ultimately, word of mouth will decide the Independence Day winner,” Bala said. He said the sequel has nostalgia and a loyal fan base working in its favour, while Batwara 1947 benefits from Deol’s strong mass appeal. According to early advance-booking figures, Awarapan 2 has sold nearly 68,000 tickets and generated about ₹2.20 crore in advance sales, compared with around 37,600 tickets for Batwara 1947. Bala said the difference represents an 81% lead in ticket sales for Awarapan 2, reflecting the anticipation surrounding the film. “The first round of the Independence Day clash clearly belongs to Awarapan 2,” he said, adding that the stronger advance booking gives the Hashmi-starrer a better platform heading into its opening day. He said Awarapan 2 is setting the pace before release, with advance ticket sales almost twice those of Batwara 1947. Sunny Deol’s film, however, could narrow the gap through stronger walk-in audiences. Trade analyst Sumit Kadel also expects Awarapan 2 to lead the opening battle. He told NDTV that the Emraan Hashmi film could earn nearly twice as much as Batwara 1947 on its opening day and over the weekend. However, the final winner of the Independence Day box-office clash is expected to depend largely on audience response and word of mouth.