Randy Quaid has publicly criticized the casting of Anne Hathaway as Tom Cruise's co-star in the forthcoming sequel "Days of Thunder 2." Quaid, who appeared in the original 1990 film, voiced his objections on social media platform X on Saturday.
Quaid, 75, stated that Hathaway, 43, is "too woke" and a "horrible choice" for the racing sequel, suggesting her political leanings are not aligned with the "NASCAR audience who are MAGA." Hathaway has previously endorsed political figures including Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris.
"Anne Hathaway is a leftist, woke, horrible choice for DAYS OF THUNDER NASCAR audience who are MAGA," Quaid posted.
He proposed that Cruise's ex-wife, Nicole Kidman, who played Dr. Claire Lewicki in the first film, would be a more suitable choice for the love interest role. Quaid and Kidman were married from 1990 to 2001 after meeting during the production of the original "Days of Thunder."
"The sexy older chick for Tom in this film needs to be Nicole," Quaid wrote. "That’s the casting that would sell the idea." He urged Cruise to bring Kidman back, stating, "Don’t be a p***y, @TomCruise. You need the original girl. It’s not personal; it’s filmmaking."
Quaid also commented on Hathaway's pregnancy, noting, "Anne isn’t sexy, because and if you haven’t noticed, she’s pregnant." Hathaway has indicated she plans to "have this baby, then make the movie."
He believes a reunion between Cruise and Kidman on screen would draw larger audiences. "If I were in control of production, a real sequel worth watching for DAYS OF THUNDER would be seeing Tom and Nicole together on screen again," Quaid said. "We don’t need a new girl; we need a new race car!"
Quaid also commented on the production timeline for the sequel, drawing a parallel to his experience making the original film. "It’s interesting because when we made the first one there was also a rush to get it out; editors slept in the cutting room on shifts," he stated. "This is a weird thing, like they want it to come out and tank."
Hathaway is slated to portray an engineer and racing team owner in the sequel. Tom Cruise is reprising his role as Cole Trickle, with Jonathan Levine directing. "Days of Thunder 2" is scheduled for release on June 2, 2028. The original film, directed by the late Tony Scott, grossed $82.6 million domestically and $157.9 million worldwide.
