Tom Cruise’s Days of Thunder co-star is unhappy with the sequel's creative direction following a recent casting announcement.
On August 29, Cruise announced that Anne Hathaway would join the highly anticipated follow-up to the 1990 racing drama. However, Randy Quaid, who played NASCAR team owner Tim Daland in the original film, quickly voiced his frustration with the sequel’s creative direction on social media.
Highlights
- Randy Quaid's explosive Days of Thunder rant puts Tom Cruise's sequel plans under scrutiny.
- Anne Hathaway's casting sparks a fiery response from Cruise's former co-star.
- Nicole Kidman's possible connection to the Days of Thunder sequel fuels fresh speculation.
In an explosive rant on X, Quaid called for Nicole Kidman to return while criticizing the decision to cast Hathaway as the sequel's female lead.
Randy Quaid slammed Anne Hathaway’s casting in the Days of Thunder sequel
In Days of Thunder, Tom Cruise played race driver Cole Trickle, while Nicole Kidman portrayed his love interest, Dr. Claire Lewicki. Although Cruise is returning for the follow-up, Kidman is not expected to reprise her role.
Anne Hathaway will instead join Cruise as the sequel's female lead and is reportedly set to play a race team owner and engineer. However, Hathaway's casting drew criticism from Randy Quaid, who labeled the actress "woke."
On August 30, Quaid launched into an explosive rant on X, criticizing Cruise over Hathaway's casting.
He called Hathaway "leftist" and described her as a "horrible choice" for the sequel. Quaid argued that the franchise's core audience consisted of MAGA supporters and urged Cruise to cater to them.
MAGA stands for "Make America Great Again," a slogan popularized by Donald Trump and commonly associated with his political supporters.
“This is a weird thing, like they want it to come out and tank,” Quaid wrote.
In a follow-up post, Quaid, an outspoken supporter of Donald Trump since 2016, claimed that Hathaway was not "se*y" because she is pregnant with her third child.
The Days of Thunder star urged Tom Cruise to reunite with Nicole Kidman
During his now-viral rant, the Independence Day star urged Cruise to reunite with Kidman on screen for the sequel.
The 1990 film was one of Kidman's earliest major Hollywood roles and helped establish her as an international star.
“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. We don’t need a new girl; we need a new race car!” Quaid wrote.
Cruise and Kidman met in 1989 while filming Days of Thunder and later began a romantic relationship. Just a year later, they tied the knot in Colorado.
In February 2001, the couple announced their separation and finalized their divorce later that year, citing irreconcilable differences.
“Don’t be a pu*sy, @TomCruise. You need the original girl. It’s not personal; it’s filmmaking,” he added.
Quaid’s comments drew mixed reactions from fans on social media. While some users expressed interest in seeing Kidman return, others criticized Quaid's comments about Hathaway as provocative and offensive.
One user said, “Anne Hathaway slander will not be tolerated.”
“So they didn’t ask you to be in it. Got it,” another wrote.
Insider revealed Tom Cruise’s stance on Nicole Kidman’s return for the sequel
Reports of a Days of Thunder sequel first emerged in November 2024 following the success of Top Gun: Maverick, the legacy sequel to 1986's Top Gun.
Reports suggest Cruise was interested in bringing Kidman back for the sequel. Earlier this month, a source told RadarOnline that Cruise was eager for his ex-wife to reprise her role as Dr. Claire Lewicki.
“The ball is in Nicole's, and only Nicole's, court," the insider said.
The source also claimed that Kidman has increasingly focused on working with and supporting female directors and producers in recent years. As a result, she would not agree to make a cameo unless the role was creatively worthwhile.
“Even if she's just going to do a signature, one-scene cameo, it has to be creatively perfect for her to do it," the source added.
Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski had previously expressed interest in a Days of Thunder and F1 crossover that would reunite Cruise and Brad Pitt.
However, Jonathan Levine, who directed Warm Bodies, has reportedly been tapped to helm the sequel.
Days of Thunder 2 is expected to release on June 2, 2028.
"Absolutely meaningless": Fans react to Randy Quaid's tirade against Days of Thunder 2
