Tom Cruise’s plans for Days of Thunder 2 have already sparked some unexpected drama. Randy Quaid, who appeared in the original movie, has publicly criticized the sequel’s casting. He took particular issue with Anne Hathaway joining Cruise in the upcoming film. Quaid also had a very different suggestion for who should share the screen with Cruise.
Randy Quaid took aim at Hathaway while offering Nicole Kidman as his preferred replacement
Quaid went off on X after news broke that Hathaway would star alongside Cruise. He called Hathaway a “horrible choice” and described her as “leftist” and “woke.” Quaid argued that the Days of Thunder audience is heavily MAGA. He suggested that Hathaway would not fit with the audience he believes supports the franchise.
Quaid then offered his own casting choice for the sequel. He urged Cruise to bring back “the original girl,” referring to Nicole Kidman. Kidman starred opposite Cruise in the 1990 NASCAR drama. The former couple met during the making of the original film and later got married that same year.
TMZ previously reported that Cruise announced Days of Thunder 2 at Daytona International Speedway. Hathaway will reportedly play a race team owner and engineer opposite Cruise’s returning character, Cole Trickle. The outlet also obtained a video of Cruise arriving at the speedway before making the announcement. The original movie also starred Robert Duvall alongside Cruise, Kidman, and Quaid.
Quaid also questioned whether the filmmakers are moving too quickly on the sequel. He compared the project to the famously fast production of the original Days of Thunder. Still, Cruise and the team appear to be moving forward with the long-awaited follow-up. Days of Thunder 2 is currently scheduled to arrive in theaters on June 2, 2028. For now, Quaid’s public casting criticism has added an unexpected layer of drama to the highly anticipated sequel.
Originally reported by Ayusi Adhikari on Reality Tea
