Anne Hathaway has signed on to star alongside Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder 2 while expecting her third child, sparking fan concerns over her intense workload after appearing in five movies this year.
The 43-year-old actress revealed the project last week, confirming that the movie is scheduled to reach theaters in the summer of 2028. Hathaway is currently expecting a child with her husband, Adam Shulman, leading followers to question how she manages such a demanding schedule.
Fans quickly reacted online to news of her casting, dubbing the pregnant star the "enemy of unemployment" following her rapid succession of film projects. Movie enthusiast Neemz, known on social media as @themovieposterguy, posted a comment asking, "DOES ANNE EVER SLEEP?" which gathered more than 35,000 likes.
Other followers shared humorous observations about her non-stop career. One commenter jokingly called her "Anne Employed Hathaway," while another remarked that "unemployment fears" her. A third supporter praised her momentum, writing, "I love a booked and busy woman."
Concerns and humor continued to spread across social media platforms as users discussed her upcoming schedule. One fan quipped, "Her baby is already so well-traveled," before adding, "She's everywhere." Another user questioned the casting choices in Hollywood, asking, "Is she the only actress available on earth? I mean... what is going on?"
Announcement of Days of Thunder sequel
Hathaway and Cruise, 64, officially announced the sequel to the 1990 racing film Days of Thunder last week through a promotional photograph and a social media video. The original 1990 film starred Cruise as a hotshot NASCAR driver navigating high-stakes competition on the racetrack.
In the promotional photograph, both actors pose against a green and yellow race car at Daytona International Speedway, the famed motorsport facility in Florida. The vehicle featured a custom decal stating, "Days of Thunder 2, summer 2028."
In the lighthearted video clip, Hathaway greeted viewers with a warm "Hey!" as she leaned toward the camera. Cruise then stood beside her as they revealed the race car parked on the track.
During the exchange, Cruise asked Hathaway, "Now what?" She responded, "Now what? Let's make the movie!" Rubbing her bump, Hathaway added, "I'm gonna have this baby, and then we're going to make this movie." Cruise agreed with the plan, replying, "That's a good idea. You have the baby and then we're gonna make the movie."
Pregnancy announcement and family life
Hathaway publicly announced her pregnancy earlier this summer by sharing a video on Instagram that displayed her growing belly. She set the reel to the song Baby, I'm Yours by Barbara Lewis.
The actress married Shulman, 45, in 2012. The couple share two sons, 10-year-old Jonathan and six-year-old Jack, and are now preparing to welcome their third child.
Reflecting on getting pregnant in her 40s during an interview with Access Hollywood, Hathaway discussed the emotional reality of conceiving later in life. "There's always hope until there's not, but when you get to a certain age, that hope looks like one percent to two percent," she said. "So we just decided to see where life took us, with a very, very healthy, realistic expectation, which was very low."
Hathaway expressed gratitude for the outcome, stating, "We're overjoyed because we just know from personal experience that not everybody gets this, and certainly not when you want it, sometimes not ever."
In April, after being named Most Beautiful Woman by People magazine, Hathaway spoke candidly about parenthood and her previous pregnancies. "I know that not everybody who wants to be a parent gets to be. I'm just blown away by how fortunate I am," she told the publication, adding, "It went really well for me twice, and that's really lucky."
Full film slate for 2026
Hathaway has maintained an exceptionally active professional schedule throughout 2026. Her roster of films for the year includes Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Odyssey, End of Oak Street, and Verity.
Earlier this summer, she starred in director Christopher Nolan's blockbuster production of The Odyssey. Nolan is widely recognized for directing large-scale cinematic projects, including Inception and Oppenheimer.
Her next theatrical release is the psychosexual thriller Verity, which arrives in theaters on October 2. Hathaway stars in the film alongside Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett.
Amazon MGM Studios released a trailer for Verity in April, which generated attention for an intense kiss shared between Hathaway and Johnson. The film is an adaptation of the popular novel by author Colleen Hoover, adapted for the screen by Nick Antosca and directed by Michael Showalter.
The story centers on Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who receives an unexpected career opportunity. She is hired by Jeremy, played by Hartnett, to ghostwrite the remaining books of his wife, Verity Crawford, played by Hathaway, after a mysterious accident leaves the successful thriller writer debilitated.
Upon moving into the couple's estate to begin writing, Lowen discovers an unfinished manuscript containing dark secrets about Verity and Jeremy. Lowen is left to figure out whether the manuscript is pure fiction or a disturbing warning from a dangerous woman.
