Actor Randy Quaid publicly criticized the casting of Anne Hathaway in the upcoming sequel to “Days of Thunder,” arguing that Nicole Kidman should return to the franchise instead.
Quaid, 75, who appeared in the 1990 original alongside Tom Cruise and Kidman, took to social media Saturday shortly after Cruise and Hathaway posted an Instagram Reel announcing the sequel, set for theaters in 2028.
“We need Nicole [Kidman] back. Don’t be a pussy @TomCruise,” Quaid wrote on X. “You need the original girl. It’s not personal; it’s filmmaking. Anne isn’t sexy, because and if you haven’t noticed, she’s pregnant.”
In a follow-up post, Quaid tied his objection to the film’s expected audience. “Anne Hathaway is a leftist, woke, horrible choice for DAYS OF THUNDER NASCAR audience who are MAGA. The sexy older chick for Tom in this film needs to be Nicole. That’s the casting that would sell the idea,” he wrote, adding, “This is a weird thing, like they want it to come out and tank.”
New Role, Not a Replacement
Hathaway, 43, is not stepping into Kidman’s original role. She will play a new character, an engineer and team owner, while Cruise returns as driver Cole Trickle. Kidman played Dr. Claire Lewicki in the 1990 film opposite Cruise, and there is no indication she has been attached to the sequel.
Cruise and Kidman later married and divorced, with Cruise filing for divorce in 2001. The two have not worked together since the original film.
Hathaway is currently expecting her third child with husband Adam Shulman and addressed the timing in the announcement video. “I’ll have this baby, then make the movie,” she said.
Quaid, who played racing team owner Tim Daland in the original, does not appear to have been asked to reprise his role in the sequel.
Production Details
The sequel is being produced by Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper, with Jonathan Levine directing, according to Deadline. It is currently scheduled for release on June 2, 2028.
The 1990 original starred Cruise, Kidman and Quaid, following driver Cole Trickle’s rise in NASCAR after joining Daland’s racing team.
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