Randy Quaid took aim at Anne Hathaway’s casting opposite Tom Cruise in the planned Days of Thunder sequel, airing his objections Saturday in a string of posts on X.
The 75-year-old Houston native reacted after news broke that Hathaway would join Cruise in Days of Thunder 2, a follow-up to the 1990 racing drama.
Quaid, who appeared in the original film as NASCAR team owner Tim Daland, argued that Hathaway’s political leanings make her a poor match for the franchise’s audience.
‘Anne Hathaway is a leftist, woke, horrible choice for DAYS OF THUNDER NASCAR audience who are MAGA,’ Quaid wrote, referring to the actress’s past support for Democratic presidential candidates including Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris.
Our News Outlet has contacted representatives for both Hathaway and Quaid seeking additional comment.
Quaid also suggested the sequel should instead reunite Cruise with his ex-wife Nicole Kidman, who played Dr. Claire Lewicki in the original Days of Thunder.
Randy Quaid, 75, criticized the casting of Anne Hathaway, 43, opposite Tom Cruise, 64, in Days of Thunder 2 through a series of posts on X Saturday. He is pictured in Montreal in 2015
Hathaway is expected to star alongside Tom Cruise in the sequel to the 1990 racing film, which is scheduled to hit theaters on June 2, 2028
The former couple, who met making the movie in 1989, were wed from 1990-2001. Prior to their split, they had appeared in films together including 1992’s Far and Away and 1999’s Eyes Wide Shut.
‘The sexy older chick for Tom in this film needs to be Nicole,’ Quaid said. ‘That’s the casting that would sell the idea.’
Quaid initially said that ‘we need Nicole back,’ adding, ‘Don’t be a p***y, @TomCruise. 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 the social media clip, Hathaway – who is pregnant with her third child – said she planned to ‘have this baby, then make the movie.’
Quaid said that reuniting Cruise and Kidman on the silver screen would draw audiences into theaters.
‘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.
He added, ‘We don’t need a new girl; we need a new race car!’
Quaid said he felt the movie was being rushed into theaters, citing his experience making the initial film.
Quaid said that Hathaway’s Democrat-geared politics made her a bad fit for the racing sequel
Quaid said that the better choice for a love interest for the film would be Cruise’s ex-wife Nicole Kidman, who he was wed to from 1990-2001
Cruise and Hathaway announced that Days of Thunder 2 would arrive in theaters in 2028
Quaid suggested Nicole Kidman reprise her role of Dr. Claire Lewicki for the sequel
The late Robert Duvall, Quaid and Tom Cruise pictured in the original 1990 motion picture
‘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,’ Quaid said. ‘This is a weird thing, like they want it to come out and tank.’
Hathaway has been seen in a number of high-profile films over the past few months, including The Odyssey, The Devil Wears Prada 2 and The End of Oak Street.
She is slated to play the role of an engineer-racing team owner opposite Cruise, who returns to the role of Cole Trickle in the sequel, which Jonathan Levine is directing.
The initial movie, which the late Tony Scott directed, arrived in theaters in June of 1990, taking in $82.6 million in domestic box office revenue and $157.9 million worldwide.
Days Of Thunder 2 is slated to arrive in theaters June 2, 2028.
